Cartoon Underground
by Rayzor14
Summary: An unforunate event causes the Eds to become a central key in the fate of their universe. Yet another EEnE and CN crossover.
1. Evicted

**Author's Notes: I know that I've been trying to do this story for about, three times, but this time I have actual help. So this time, I'm going back to my original idea. Only this time, it's Cartoon Network that's at war with _itself. _It's new school vs. old school in a fan-fic of epic proportions... or at least inside 36 chapters at the most... or maybe 9 or 10,000 words per chapter. Listen: to those out there who are obviously going to start attacking about this, I _like _some of the new shows. The idea is just an excuse for a civil war. Anyway, as to be expected, the stars of this story are most definitely going to be about the Eds, and another member of the cul-de-sac and others of various other shows.**

**As for the whole fighting part of the series...well, excuse any references to FF or other RPGs, but one thing that is certain is this: it is influenced by Kingdom Hearts. It has elements similar to it but remember: THIS IS NOT A KINGDOM HEARTS/EEnE CROSS-OVER! So, without further ado, I give you the first chapter of Cartoon Underground.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Evicted

The morning sun rose slowly over the horizon, its warm rays bathing over the darkened land. As its reach spread, it was suddenly reflected harshly back at it. As the glare slowly calmed, the visage of a magnificent city came into view. Tall towers of steel and glass loomed over sleek black, paved streets dotted with traffic lights and vegetation. Dozens of shops littered the streets as signs slowly turned over, readying themselves for what they hoped to be a busy and profitable day. Before long, the town itself began to stir and was so a buzz with activity from its happy, blissful citizens. Such a peaceful, picturesque city... One would never suspect it was built from the spoils of war.

Yes. This city, this paradise, had been ripped from the hands of its rightful owners. Left to live out their lives far away from the place they had once known as home. How all of these events had fallen into place was all due to the unforgiving march of progress. Because of it, the humble city of the Confederation of Nations had slowly, but noticeably, swelled in size as more and more citizens flocked to the ever growing city, bringing with them all the burdens they had in their own worlds. As the city expanded to accommodate the rising needs of its citizens, and so did the tension between them. First it was simple, one-sided arguments and small brawls between two citizens. Soon this escaladed into street fights between rival groups, resulting in property damage and numerous injuries. Finally, the newer, more advanced generation made their move against the older generation. In no time, their superior technology had won them not only a war, but also a city. New Metropolis: a city built over the sacrifices of the older generation and stripped from their homeland.

But our story lies far away from the bright, glorious city; instead our story takes us to the doorstep of an ordinary house in a small cul-de-sac. While the city was already starting to buzz and blare loudly, the neighborhood was still with light tweets of morning birds and the gentle swaying of leaves in the breeze. Inside one of the many uniform houses was a boy, lazily sleeping atop his perfectly made bed. Yes, this boy was indeed 'special'. Not only did he possess an amazing intelligence for someone his age, but he also held a high regard for order, authority, and everything else a boy his age would normally be trying their hardest to disrupt. But what really separated him from others was the fact that he had a vast understanding of the complex and sympatric relationship between technology and magic, which was explicitly banned by the New Metropolis Council.

Magic, as they put it, was the craft of naives and inherently inferior to all works of technology and thus, was beneath the citizens. But the real reason for such a strict and forceful law was that they were afraid of it. They feared the pure power such a craft held and thus made sure that any citizens that dared to defy it be severely punished. The boy, known by his associates as Double D for the dual letters in his name, held high admiration for the law and would never dare to disobey them... But the law never said anything about _studying _it.

The loud call of the alarm slowly woke the boy, who tiredly planted his hand on the clock and ceased its insistent ringing. Gripping the nightcap over his head, the boy groaned lightly as his eyes lazily read the numbers on the clock.

"8:15," he grumbled under his breath. "That's unusually late for me."

He normally would have been deep into a pseudo-metaphysical debate over the properties of astral energies when applied to theories of the sub-conscience. Nodding off the tempting call of sleep, he made his way out of bed and towards his closet. Stepping onto the weight-activate pads beneath his feet, the door whooshed open and revealed a neat layout of hygienic clothes. Picking out what he needed, the boy made his way out of his room and towards the door clearly marked "Bathroom" in bold letters on a label. Minutes later, he emerged fully clothed in his signature outfit of tropical orange shirt and purple shorts with red socks. Walking back into his room and locking the door, he carefully plucked a book from the book self and stared intensely into the black pages. Giving his paranoid eye sweep across his room, he focused and, in a hushed whisper, cast a spell.

"Focal Lens."

Suddenly, the black pages ruffled in a breeze, revealing a gorgeous array of images and words. A small voice in the back of his head, clearly his morals, snapped at this action and pestered him with the endurance of a yapping dog. His reasoning soon snapped back with an even and reasonable tone. Sure, he had broken the law by using this spell, which he learned from a small handbook with the basic spells any mage needed, but that law only clearly enforced _offensive _and _defensive _spells. A simple Learning spell such as this couldn't possible be considered dangerous. With his morals pacified, the boy gave a small smile.

Time to get to work!

* * *

Back in the city, the streets were now alive and well with citizens and patrons, some marching off to work while others while wondered about the concrete pathways. One pair in particular was walking eagerly towards their next destination. At least one was.

"Come on, Cap'n! It's just around the corner!" yelled the smaller citizen.

The citizen was a young boy with bright blonde hair with a white, sailor's hat perched precariously to the side. He wore a red and white striped shirt with blue leotards that completed covered him down to his feet and a green scarf wrapped snuggly around his neck. His rosy cheeks brightened as he smiled merrily at the man behind him. The man was certainly different. He had a blue complexion all over his face and ended at the base of his neck where it met his less then fit physique. But what was even stranger was the fact that every other part of his body was made of wood. His hands were dull, wooden claws and his legs were thin sticks, which strangely seemed to support his entire weight. His attire consisted of a red hat with pointed edges with a matching jacket and orange and dingy white striped undershirt.

"And it'll be there when we get there," the man retorted, pulling out a flask of maple syrup and took a swig.

"But Cap'n! We have to hurry or we'll be late for work!" the boy reasoned.

"... Don't remind me," the man groaned, taking yet another gulp of syrup.

As the two came around the corner, they met with a long strip, stores lining every inch. However, their attention was directed at one store in particular, trimmed in red and white swirls of peppermint with a clear, glass door. "The Candy Barrel", written in bright red letters with two peppermint sticks crossing in a coat of arms fashion, stood in front of them. Simply being there made the boy giggle in glee and dance lightly in place, eager to have the familiar taste of sweetness upon his tongue. Grunting behind him, the man walked passed and pushed open the door. The small sound of a bell rung faintly ran across the room as they entered into the establishment.

Small, round wooden tables littered the room as four seat booths lined up against the wall. A large barrel was planted in the middle of the room, dozens of glass mugs covered the shelves as well as an assortment of candy filled barrels jetted from the larger one. Truth be told, this was in actually the second of the Candy Barrels shops and it was easy to tell from the many different patrons that sat, laughed, and chatted about the room. Walking up to the corner, the boy and his Captain took a seat in front of the bartender. Upon hearing the familiar squeak of the seats, the bartender turned and smiled at the two. The man was tall with brown hair wearing a white and red striped shirt with blue pants and a green smock. His thick-rimmed glasses covered his eyes, which were now fixed on the two.

"Well hello, Flapjack!" he said happily. "... K'nuckles."

"Hey Larry," the captain, K'nuckles, replied. "Give us the usual!"

"Mmm-hmm..." Larry said with a knowing leer.

He turned behind himself and quickly grabbed two mugs. He briefly held them under the faucet of the first two barrels and turned them on, filling them to the brim. The two stared at the mugs as he set them down and quickly reached for them…

... only for Larry to pull them just out of reach.

"And would your usual also include not having money?" he asked with a sly smile.

"We've do too have money!" K'nuckles yelled, slamming his fist on the corner.

"But Cap'n, we spent it all yesterday on your hat," Flapjack remarked, remembering how the old one had been devoured by a strange rabid, creature.

"Shut up Flap," the man whispered, before turning back to Larry. "Just put it on our tab!"

"Your tab was due two months ago!" Larry screamed. "And until you pay back every pence, I don't wanna see your faces again!"

"Oh yeah? Who's gonna make us?" K'nuckles asked confidently.

Larry briefly stared at him before snapping his fingers. Almost instantly, a large man rose from behind the two, grabbing their shoulders. This made the two look up slowly before grinning nervously and gulping. Seconds later, the two were propelled out of the store and onto the hard pavement of the street. Flapjack groaned and rubbed his hand against his head, body slightly numbed from the experience. Looking next to him, he saw that his captain was also up, cursing at the store and angrily shaking his fist. A small beeping noise caught Flap's attention and turned to the small black watch on his wrist, the alarm signally the fast approaching time of two O' clock.

"Cap'n! We need to go! Or the boss'll be mad at us!" Flapjack yelled, pointing to his watch.

"...Yeah, yeah," K'nuckles grumbled and followed the lad off to work.

* * *

_Knock._

Double D briefly looked up from his studies and looked around the room. He knew that even if he was _technically _wasn'tdoing anything wrong, it wouldn't be easy to explain it to the people who kept it. Slowly, he returned back to his studies, which at the moment included the application of Fire-elements to standard engines. In theory, if one managed to seal in the right combination of Fire spells, the thermal output when combined with a various number of gases would allow for an exceptional increase in momentum. The problem was that the force of such a powerful discharge ran the risk of destroying its container, thus endangering the driver and anything within the immediate vicinity. He tapped his pencil lightly against his ski cap, thinking over the process to see if he can think of a way to overcome this problem.

"Maybe if I used a metal with a strong heat conductance," he said mused, jotting down several notes on the matter.

"Or maybe a super cooled substance to counter the thermal output…" He jots down some more notes. "But that might interfere with the Fire's ability to generate heat, thus decreasing the maximum continual thrust. Perhaps if I were use steel engraved with Wind Seals, to act as a heat converter and could power other functions such as Temperature control, Shield generators, and Navigationaldevices. I should make a Prototype to test this theory-"

_Knock_.

Double D's thoughts are once again broken as he hears the knock ring clearly into his ears. Waving his hand over the book, he re-casts Focal Lens and shelved the book. Slowly, he walked towards the front door.

_Knock_._ Knock_.

As the knock rang out again, Double D couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear in the back of his mind. Every time he hears those knocks, he always feared it be a soldier there, weapons armed and ready to take him away. He shook his head. He knew that anytime he thought this, it was always one of his friends, waiting impatiently at the door so that they could begin their latest scam. Of course, no matter how well planned or thought out this scams were, they always ended in the same way: the local kids would always end up chasing them, catching them and beating them up. He smiled at this thought as he neared the end of the hallway.

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"Coming!" Edd shouted politely as he descended the stairs.

As he neared the door, he prepped his most sincere greeting face and fixed his posture. He then opened the door and smiled.

"Good day! And how may I-" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Standing in front of him was a man, somewhere in his mid-twenties, clad in dull bronze and red trimmed armor with a red suit underneath. His chest had a strange, round plate in the center with visage of a red raven engraved in solid, blood red. His hair was jet black and his deep, crimson eyes reflected not an ounce of compassion as he stared at the child in front of him.

"Eddward of Peach creek?" he asked in a blunt, professional voice.

Double D nodded slowly. The then quickly reached into his pocket and revealed a folded piece of paper. He them unfolded it and cleared his throat.

"Mister Eddward, as the representative of Peach Creek, it seems only appropriate that you be the first to receive the news," he started before reading. "_Dear residents of Peach Creek, as of yesterday, at the refurbishing of the New Metropolis Qualification for Citizen Contract we reviewed all cases of borderline citizenship, including yours. We are sorry to inform you that at 2:35 p.m., your citizenship was revoked. We wish you the best of luck in your search for another home. Sincerely, the City Council_."

Double D was speechless. He'd always envisioned this fear whenever he was deep within his studies, but to experience it was another thing entirely. It was far more frightening then he could ever have imagined it. Never had he felt so afraid, so numb, and so fearful. He must have stood there for some time because the man had snapped his fingers to regain his attention.

"As with standard Evictions, you have twenty-four hours to pack your belongings before we are forced to physically evict you. You are allotted a small moving team for your heavier objects, which is to be returned immediately upon completion. Any permanent objects such as statues or in-ground equipment are to be left behind. If you have any other questions or concerns-" the soldier stated from memory.

"Hey! Let go!" a loud voice shouted.

The two turned to see the sight of a boy wrestling against another soldier. The boy was wearing yellow bowling shirt with purple trimmed sleeves and collar with a red stripe down the right side. Blue pants and red shoes made up the rest of his clothing and his three black strands if hair stood high as he growled in anger. The boy yanked himself away the moment he saw Double D in front of the soldier.

"What the heck's going on here!" the short boy yelled.

On cue, other children also started to emerge from their houses, some by themselves while others had the escort of a soldier. The children all stared at the three; all looking confused and worried for their lives. One of them, a tall boy wearing a green jacket with a red and white under-shirt and dark blue pants, ran towards his friends, only to be stopped by a pair of soldiers. The soldier with the two boys, obviously the leader of group, turned towards the mass of children and spoke.

"All of your citizenship to New Metropolis has been revoked. You are hereby order to leave within twenty-four hours before we are forced to remove you ourselves," the soldier stated.

It was to no surprise that the kids all immediately let out a series of gasps. They were just as scared as Double D had been when he had heard the news, although they all didn't understand the full impact of the situation. Eviction was quite possibly the worse thing that could ever happen to a member of the older generation. It meant not only did they lose citizenship, but they also lost any say they might have had in what happened in the city. Shops closed, houses were foreclosed, and land was paved over to make way for more expansions to the city. But worse still was the fate of those evicted is that.

Some were lucky and were taken in by some citizen. Most, however, weren't nearly as lucky. They were forced to either work for the military or a work camp where they're forced to build upon the very land that was taken from them. As this possiblity ran through his head, Double D noticed that his short friend was now inches away from the leader's face.

"Look here, whoever you are. We've been here for forever and we're gonna keep being here! You hot a problem with that?" Eddy yelled, pointing a finger at the man.

"Sir, I'd advised you to back away before I'm forced to act in self-defense," the soldier growled lowly, grinding his teeth.

"Shut up! I'd like to see you tr-" and before Eddy could, finish he was thrown onto the ground.

The tall boy panicked and attempted to run towards his friend before two clicks of twin rifles stopped him dead in his tracks. The short boy groaned until the sudden presence of a boot knocked the wind right out of him. The leader sneered at the boy beneath his feet, applying more pressure and was rewarded with a deep shout of pain.

"Eddy! Please, Sir! We'll corporate! Just let him go!" Double D shouted

"I would..." the soldier faced suddenly contorted to a menacing leer, "but this kid needs to be taught his place! Because last time I checked_, we _won the war, not you! If there's anything I hate more that anything else is dogs that don't know when to sit down!"

At this, he rose his foot and slammed it into Eddy's backside, who coughed roughly as a result. The kids all now started to shout, yelling for the man to stop harassing the poor boy. They fell on deaf ears as when they replanted his boot into the boy. After another series of kicks, the man finally stopped.

"I guess you should all thank him," he said, darkly sweeping his crimson eyes about. "Because you now have _One Hour _to move off the premise before you are forcibly removed! And you better pray I don't find you here when I get back."

A snap of his fingers and he and his men vanished, most likely through some form of teleportation. All that was left now was silence and all eyes, even those of the beaten Eddy, fell on Double D. All he could do was stare, completely at a lost as to how to deal with this situation.

* * *

"I hate my life," came from K'nuckles muttered to himself.

The reason for his statement was solely due to his job:Sanitation Officer, which was a fancy way of saying Clean-up Crew. It was the only job he and his boy could get, with their limited experience and lack of physical strengths. But the job wasn't all bad. It allowed them chances to go to a great number of places that they'd never been to before and showed them just how vast the world was. And he was sure that somewhere out there was the fabled Candied Island. He'd been searching for it his entire life, always coming up short in his pursuit of it. But now he knew why: it wasn't in _his _world! It had to be somewhere out here and he'd be the one to find it.

"Hey!" an angry voice screamed on the ground.

K'nuckles looked down to see the form of a walking gumball machine, wearing a bright orange and yellow vest over himself. The man had his most furious glare fixed squarely on the Captain.

"Yeah, Boss?" K'nuckles called from atop the high structure he was working on.

"That's Mr. Benson to you!" the man screamed. "And you should be glad I didn't fire you for being late today!"

"Yeah, yeah," the captain retorted before returning himself to his work.

… Or rather relax, while Flapjack does his share of work. The lad had proven himself to be incredibly gullible and being eager to become a full-fledged adventurer didn't exactly help either. All it took was the promise to become an adventurer more quickly and the boy went straight to working his arms off. But something about the lad today seemed off. He wasn't working nearly as fast as he normally would and his normal annoying, up beat humming was nowhere to be found. Raising an eyebrow in concerned curiosity, he lightly tapped the boy's shoulder.

"Uh Flap, are you all right?"

No response.

"Hey, Flap."

He looked over his shoulder and saw that the boy was mopping up a splotch of a dried, red liquid: blood. He could only yet out a sigh before Flapjack finally spoke back to him.

"This was where they fought..." fear made his tender voice quivered, "... isn't it Cap'n?"

"... Boy, I don't see why you're getting so worked up. It ain't our problem anymore," he said and placed the wooden hand on Flap's shoulder.

"BUT IT'S WRONG!" Flapjack shouted, voice hoarse with anger.

"Why do we have to fight at all? All they wanted was to have their land back and look what we did! We hurt them and tortured them and made them feel worthless! I can't keep pretending that it didn't happen and I know I'm not strong enough to do anything..." the boy's words wavered as tears threaded at the boarder of his eyes. "… I miss Bubbie."

"Look Flap, we can't do anything about the war, but the least we can do is make sure we don't do anything to help it," K'nuckles said, placing his arm around the boy "Besides, how are we suppose ta find Candied Island if you break down every time you see something about the war?"

Flapjack only looked at him briefly before reburying his head into the arms. The captain sighed before a sly smile formed on his face.

"How about this? After work, I'll take you to go get some candy ta cheer you up," he said with a smile.

"But Peppermint Larry banned us from the Candy Barrel."

"There's more than one way to get candy in this town Flap my boy!" the captain declared proudly.

And with that, Flapjack's mood instantly brightens, as it always did whenever there was the promise of candy. True, he may have second guessed his captain on several things, but if there's one thing the blue faced man knew how to do, it was finding candy. Wiping the tears from his eyes, the boy went back to his work, vigorously scrubbing away at the crusted life fluid before jovially humming a joyful tune to himself... which of course, annoyed his captain.

* * *

_Click_ went the suitcase as it snapped shut as it held in the mountain of supplies inside. The smart Ed quickly went over his mental check-list: clothes, books, loufa, some spare hats, label maker, disinfectant, goggles, plenty of bug spray, sticky notes, extra pencils, pencil sharpener, note pad and his trusted magnifying glass. Making sure that all was accounted for, he slung the items over his shoulders and headed out the door.

Once out of the house, he found that the others had left for the entrance and quickly followed suit. After a quick walk, the boy found himself in the mass of kids, all looking back at there home.

"Hey! What took ya?" Eddy asked loudly, gripping his backpack tighter around his person.

"I just needed a few minutes to gather my things. It was so hard to say good-bye to all my precious things but I could only carry so much with my limited strength," the smart Ed explained.

He turned back and stared deeply at the home he had so recently departed. All the memories he and his friends spent in the house easily brought mist to his eyes. He was not by any means alone either. All the kids were holding back tears, save the fragile Jimmy, who at the moment was pouring his heart out into his friend's shoulder.

"...No point wasting tears over what's done, I propose," Double D announced as he wiped tears from his eyes. "We best be off. I wouldn't want to invoke the wrath of that soldier from before."

Eddy growled lowly at the memory of the man, his wounds flaring up as he clenched them. Bidding the cul-de-sac one final farewell, the group was off into the city.

OOO

It took all of two hours before the group dispersed into four. When they had reached the city, Johnny, the local 'nature boy', had taken it upon himself and his good friend Plank, a piece of 2x4, to look for shelter in the unforgiving city. Seconds after he vanished from view, Kevin, Rolf, and Nazz had volunteered themselves to also look for shelter (not exactly trusting the boy to come back). Sarah and Jimmy were also off after the promise of toys and sweets drew them towards the pulsing beat of the leisure section of the city. Which only left Ed, Edd and Eddy, leaving them in the middle of the sidewalk, with no clue as to what to do next.

"Come on boys! This place is ripe with pigeons and I have just the scam that'll pull 'em in!" Eddy wrung his hands greedily.

"I don't think we should push our luck, Eddy. Remember that we already have _one _citizen enraged at us," Double D reasoned.

"Killjoy," Eddy huffed before the three started their trek through the large city. Five minutes later, they were utterly lost.

It was only natural. They had never been to the city that often before it was turned in New Metropolis and the new layout of the city made it impossible for their limited and out-dated knowledge to serve in any way to help out. Edd scratched his head as he tried to read the map he had bought from a rather shady character, Eddy gripped his head in aggravation as shouted to himself, and Ed happily jogged around chasing a butterfly.

"I can't believe we're lost!" Eddy shouted to the heavens.

His voice echoed off the concrete structures as bits and pieces rolled down and land into a pile in front of him. It was at this time that the trio finally took the moment to get a good look at the area around them.

Shoddy, concrete buildings decorated with wooden boards and cement replaced the gleaming towers of steel. The streets were filled with debris and the scent of decay lay thick in the air. Trash was scattered and the far off sounds of violence rang in their ears. It was blatantly apparent from the darkened sky that this was definitely not the New Metropolis they'd seen every morning.

"It would appear that we're in Backwater District," Double D commented as he read the map.

Looking around, Eddy found that it was appropriately named. The place gave the district the feeling that he was being watched... and that he could be mugged at any given moment. They took a step backwards when the crush of glass caught everyone's attention.

"Well, well, well," a voice said in a slight accent. "Looky what we've got here."

Out of the shadows stepped a lanky teen with a brown, tattered vest slung over his shoulder under a faded white T-shirt. Ruined pants stopped just short of his ankles and a dusty cap sat at an angle on his head. The messy black hair on his head hung over deep brown eyes that stared menacingly at the boys.

"Well... Hello there, good fellow. My name is Eddward but you can-" Double D's attempt to break the ice was met with a hard push to the ground.

"What's your problem?" Eddy said, helping his friend up. "If you want a fight, I'll give ya one!"

The teen huffed and snapped his fingers. Suddenly, eyes appeared from every nook and cranny of the ruined area. Slowly, they moved from the shadows to the less-than-perfect-light; revealing kids of various ages carrying homemade weapons of wood. Eddy's confidence drained from him in an instant and he walked back into the circle with his friends.

"Now, here's the thing," the teen announced and strolled up to the Ed. "This town ain't big enough for every punk like you who thinks he can just show up and own the place."

"But weren't trying to-"

"Quiet! Now here's how'd it is gonna go down: we're gonna rough ya up a bit, take ya stuff, and then you're gonna thank us for leaving you intact," suddenly the group of ruffians moved closer around them. "Oh, and feel free to scream. No one around here much cares anyway."

And like dogs set free from their leash, they lunged at the Ed boys; who screamed at the top of their lungs at the mob approached. After what seemed like an eternity, the Eds opened their eye to see that a yellow, triangular shield had been placed between them and the mob now crowded on its surface. A quick blast of green and red energy sent them scattering as a figure stepped in front of the shield.

She was wearing a green sweater with an orange collar and waists zipped up with a pair of green and white pants. Fiery orange hair hung slightly over one as its frizzy texture swayed in a gust of wind. The girl gripped the weapon in her hands tighter and narrowed her gaze.

"I don't know who you are, but _no one _makes me look like a fool! Get her!" the teen ordered.

The kids all rushed at the girl and she tensed her muscles in response. As soon as they were close, she quickly threw up another shield and aimed her gun at the crowded screen. She squeezed the trigger and an explosion of energy sent them flying across the area. A kid approached from the side, but she dodged and round kicked the lad in the face.

The trio simply watched, speechless, as the girl single-handily laid waste to the mob of ruffians. Within seconds, the last ruffian had fallen, groans and moans filling the air. The teen glared at the girl and gritted his teeth. No way was he gonna lose to a kid, especially some red headed girl!

"You little brat!" he yelled and picked up a steel pole from the ground.

He raised it high a swung at the girl and missed. He swung again and missed once more, anger fueling his blows as he recklessly threw blow after blow. When he tried to jab at the girl, she twisted and grabbed his arm. He let go of the pole in pain and the girl planted her shoe size into the teens face. He fell backwards and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

With a flick of her wrist, the shield fell and the boys looked on at her with wonder filled eyes. Never had they'd seen such a display of power; never had Double D seen a person cast a shield so effortlessly and maintain it while simultaneously fighting off opponents. The girl gave the boys a look before returning her gaze to the downed ruffian.

"Bloody teenager," she said and gripped her sweater back in place.

"Um...thank you, Miss?" the smart Ed said to get her attention.

"Numbah 86. I came here because my superior told me some new recruits were in the area," she gave the boys a look over before giving a groan. "They never told me they'd be a bunch of _stoopid boys._"

"Hey, who're you calling stupid!" Eddy roared.

"Now, now. Miss… 86, who is this superior you speak of? And better yet, where'd you come from and how'd you learn that powerful defensive spell?" Double D's curiosity had over-whelmed him.

A loud crash sounded in the distance, yells and jeers not too far behind.

"Not here. We need to get someplace safe first." the girl quickly ran off down the street.

Not wasting time, the Eds followed her until they stopped behind her. As they peered over her shoulder, they saw only a circular manhole in the middle of the street. She then bent down and scooped the metal lid into her hand, dragging it across the pavement. Double D squinted his eyes and hoped that she wasn't going to propose what he was thinking she'd-

"Get in."

The boy let out an auditable groan as he ran his hands over his head. He simply detested filth and here he was about to go down into a sewer! He'd needed hours of rigorous cleaning to ever feel even halfway decent again after this.

"Hurry up."

Edd opened his eyes to see Numbah 86 pointing impatiently at the open hole in the ground. Gulping, he slowly walked to the hole before descending down a ladder inside. It was only a few short seconds later before the sharp scrap extinguished all light as the lid fell back into place. Double D closed his eyes once more, nervously twitching as he made his way down the rusty ladder praying to himself that it wouldn't suddenly give way and he'd be sent hurling to his death.

After a few agonizing minutes, the boy was startled as his foot hit the ground. Opening his eyes, the boy was greeted to his two friends staring breathlessly at the visage of a massive structure in the distance. The smart Ed could only stand there, slack jawed, at the sight before him. Numbah 86 fell to the ground, turned, and smiled at the boys' shocked expressions.

"Welcome," she said and waved her arm grandiosely out before him "to The Underground."

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Lots of thanks to Private Corp for being my beta reader. New chapter to be out...well, whenever I guess. TTFN!


	2. The Underground

**Author's Notes: **Wow, this story has gotten alot more attention than I thought it would! Anyway, last chapter was mostly just an intro and this chapter is too. Basicaly, I'm introducing the main faces of this story and how things work in the Underground. So without further ado, here's the next chapter of CU.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Underground

"Hurry up, boys! We have somewhere ta be, ya know!" 86's shrill voice cried.

The Eds heard the order, but were unable to follow it for their eyes and minds were transfixed on the scenes around them. Where New Metropolis was a testiment to mordern technology, the Underground was in touch with much humbler, but just as equally jaw-dropping, as the world above. Buildings reminiscent of those one would find in tales of fantasy, made of dull tan wood, sheet metal and bricks, were scattered amogst the various nomadic venors in the streets. One such building that caught their attention was a tall, glass tower made nearly exclusively of colorful images that dictated many scenes using several different figures. At its zenith was a set of duel blocks colored black and white inside corresponding backgrounds with the letters 'C' and 'N' inside them.

But what was even more striking was that the entire town was littered with glowing crystals. It was these gems that gave the ceiling its warm, aureolin glow which hinted at similaries to the sun above. Below, more crystals shined in brillent hues of green and blues, lighting up corners hung from poles in place of laterins. And they weren't simply used as a light source; they were everywhere! Some were seen beneath cooking pans, others in fountains creating powerful spouts of water, and others nestled in the hilts of weapons.

Truly this place was beyond words, but before they could continue gaze about, 86 gripped the trio within her hands. It was an odd and surprising sight, seeing a young girl drag three pre-teens of various sizes down the cobblestoned path. It was only a few seconds later before the trio stopped and plopped to the ground.

"Geez, coulda just asked us to come on." Eddy groaned, rubbing his bruised head

"I did." 86 said firmly "Repeatly. But you boys were far too busy sight-seeing. Now get up and follow me."

As ordered, the Eds got up and proceeded to walk in behinde the loud girl. They didn't even notice until the sound of whooshing doors alerted them that they had entered a building. The Eds looked up and noticed that they were in a very different place now. Unlike the rest of the Underground which seemed to be more in touch with the mystical arts, this particular building was lavished with gleaming, althought tarnish, silver metal. The hallway they were in split into many different sections and paths, but 86 made no detour despite the fact that the trio were fasinated by the constant fizzing and buzzing.

Edd had been so infauiated with the curious sounds that he failed to realize the tall Ed in front of him had stopped and subsequently rammed into him. Grabbing his nose as it pulsed with pain, he leaned over Ed's shoulder to see that their guide was punching in a code of keypad. Moments later, the doors flung open and the Eds found themselves in the midist of a pigsty.

Edd, being the neat freak that he is, would normally break out into a fit but this mess was different from ordinary flith. Instead of food, there were books scattered about in various piles of varying sizes stacked haphazardously. Paper strewed acrossed the surprisingly wooden floor, ink splattered here and there. Long cords hung from the railings and peices of machinary were spread out in almost every direction. To someone of Double D's standing, this was the mark of a genius.

"Hoagie!" the girl yelled loudly "Where are ya, ya lazy, good-for-nothin, stoopid boy genius!"

"Actually, it's Deputy Director and Head of Weapons Reaseach & Development." a voice chimmed.

The voice came from a young boy, not much older than 86, who had emerged suddenly from the heaps of papers. He was a rather stout and plump boy in his light blue shirt and tanned pants; an aviator hat pulled over his eyes. Wiggling his way out of the mess of wood pulp, he saluted the group before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Boys," 86 said gesturing towards the boy "This is Hoagie Gilligan. He's one of our top scientist and head of our Weapons and Aviation Department. He'll be functioning as our pilot should things go smoothly."

The Eds each gave the boy a wave before the genius turned to 86 in surprise.

"You mean you haven't even shown them to _him _yet?" Hoagie said urgently

"I'm going to. I just wanted them to say hi and to inform you that Aviation called and said your 'baby' was on fire." 86 said back casually.

Almost instantly, the boy disappeared and reappeared at the door. He shouted a goodbye and ran towards what the Eds assumed was the Aviation wing. Dusting her hands lightly and a smirk firmly on her face, the girl grabbed the Eds attention and guided out of the building.

* * *

Elsewhere, two familiar figures walked shealithly towards their destination. Cloaked by a pair of dusty robs, the shorter of the two reached up and yanked roughly on the other's sleeve. The figure glanced down and grunted impatiantly.

"What is it, Flap?" K'nuckles asked

"Are you sure we should be here, Cap'n?" the young lad asked in low tone.

It was a well known fact that the Underground and New Metropolis were on considerablely shaky grounds in terms of relations. Each held a bitterly enforced 'You-don't-mess-with-us, we-don't-mess-with-you' agreement. Both sides were also armed, looking for the slightest reason to spark the fuse of war. So two NM citizens admist the many volatile residents of the Underground could be all that was needed to start the war.

Scoffing at his young protégé's worrisome (and completely validated) comment, he escourted the lad down a flight of stairs before stopping in front of a steel door. A slit in the metal suddenly opened and a pair of dark hazel eyes stared firmly into K'nuckles own.

"Password?" the eyes asked in a deep voice.

"Wintergreen." the Captain replied

The eyes back for a few seconds before disappearing behinde the slid. A series of locks clicked and slided before the door suddenly swung open. A breif burst of light caused Flapjack to instinctively close his eyes before blinking away his blurred vision. In front of him was a cacaphony of sound and motion. Drink mugs were raised high in the air, haughty laughtar from rugged figures of all ages and the sweet smell of sugar coated sweetness filled the air.

The atmosphere was much more different than that of the Candy Barrel, which held a mischevious and troublsome air while this place was uplifting and had a family feel to it. As the lad gawked at the amazing scene around him, his attention was pulled aside as his captain guided him towards a pair of empty seats. Sitting down on the velvet cushions, K'nuckles rang the bell and suddenly a large child in a brown shirt and white apron appeared.

"Wha' can I get ya?" he asked with a slight accent.

"The usual, Jack." the captain replied

Nodding his head, the boy twirled over to two cups and proceeded to fill them to the brim with an assortment of candy. With a flick of the wriast, he sent the mugs down the brown corner top and into the waiting hands of the two candy enthuisuis. K'nuckles instantly inhaled the sweet mixture while Flapjack stopped to savour the familiar and welcomed taste of candy upon his tounge. In nearly the same time it had taken to fix fix them, the mugs hit the corner empty.

"Ahh...Nuthin' like a good mug of candy ta get yer blood pumping." K'nuckles said as licked traces of his treat off his lips.

"Yeah." Flapjack said and looked around "Hey, Cap'n? How'd you find this place anyway?"

K'nuckles stopped the refilled mug just short of his mouth, which contorted into a thoughtful frown.

"Well, being the great Adventurer I am, I stumbled upon this little tavern when I was off fighting ol' Eight Armed Willie durin' a mighty storm..." K'nuckles beganed.

Flapjack placed his head in his hands and looked up at his Captain with egar eyes and cheerful smile. He always loved hearing his Cap'n's stories; despite knowing in the very back of his mind that he was almost definitely lying. The blue faced adventurer was imfamous for his fabricated tales and this had led him to one of the most universally despise people in all of the known worlds. This was evident by the fact that he was almost always discredited by whoever would bother to listen.

As the man delved deeper into his intense, thrilling (and most likely false) tale, the boy turned towards one of the open windows to see a pair of feet clip-clopping down the stone walk.

* * *

86 was known for many things, two of the most well known being her banshee scream and general dislike of the opposite sex, but one of her most personal coveted was her agility. After the event known now simply as 'The Incident' nearly incapcitated every KND operative, she made it a habit to routunely pratice her combative and agility capabilities. The fruit of her efforts was clearly visible by the performance of a perfect running leap onto a moving cart followed by cart wheeling backwards to the tops of the rafters of a house before jumping an impossible gap to the other side.

The Eds, on the other hand, didn't have anywhere near the skill or form to even attepmt one of the girl's impressive acrobative feats. It was only when she leaped to the roof tops did the short Ed give a loud shout.

"Hey! Slow down would ya?" Eddy yelled, running as he could after the girl.

The girl only gave the boy a quick glance before smirking and backflipping across another seemingly impossible distance. While Eddy looked at her with disdian, Ed watched with admiring eyes, mouth held open in awe. Watching the red-haired youth jump from rooftop to rooftop reminded him a familiar comic book hero or rather, heroine. Caught up in his fantasy world, he failed to notice the fact that there was a cart placed directed in front of him. As with most things in Ed's way, it was absent-mindedly destroyed while its owner shout angry phrases at the boy.

"I'm sorry about that!" Double D yelled back

Turning his attention back their 'savior', he couldn't help but be amazed at how the girl so nimbly raced overhead akin to that of squirril. _Come to think of it, _Double D thought _I've seen moments like those before. But where? _His train of thought promptly crashed into a mountain as he ran into the back of his large friend. Shaking his head, he looked up to see that they had now come to a stop in front of building.

The Building itself was peculiar, with a square roof that incline slightly before leveling out into a small garden space. It was also made from different materials than the other buildings instead being made smoothed stone and deep earthy brown. It had only one window, placed above the door and was tinted a deep yellow-orange. 86 had descended from roofs and back down to earth, walking up to and giving the wooden door three hard knocks.

Slowly the door creaked open, revealing a small shop. The inside smelled deeply of herbs and spices, affected Ed's allergies and making him sneeze violently, causing the entire shop to quake. Double D, having been in the immediate area of the blast, broke into a fit, manifesting a rag from his hat and started whipping himself clean. 86, althought disgusted by the flecks of mositure on her sleeve, kept her composure and signaled for them to follow her. They walked passed a light tanned man, decked out in an orange robe with a red shash similar to a monk, who the girl flashed a strange sign with her hand.

They proceeded through a curtain, which in turn led to a door. 86 then entered a code into the out of place keypad before hearing the various locks turn and clank before the door alloted them to pass. After that, they were faced with a flight of stairs, lit by candles and light that reflected over the steel cage that held them. As they descended, they walked passed many more monks, each standing at perfect attention. Eddy teased how they reminded him of the London guards with the giant hats, while Edd warned an egar Ed not to touch.

When they finally reached the bottom of staircase, they were faced yet another door guarded by the monks. 82 flashed a quick hand gesture and two stepped aside to allow the quartet to pass throught. From there, still even more monks stood at the ready all guarding the entrance to yet another door way. Double D was starting to wondering what on earth could be so important as to require this much security as they passed throught the door. However, his thoughts vanished as he felt a sudden drop in tempurature, as well as visable light in the room.

He instintively grabbed his arms and started rubbing them feircely in order to warm his shivering limbs. After a few seconds, his eyes had adjusted enough for him make out the layout of the room. Even in the darkness, he was able to see the dark writing ont he wall, scrwalled on the walls in a uniform style that stayed true all throughtout the room. Other than that, the room was surprising bare, save a few fabrics hung on the wall in a drapping fashion with the same writing on them. But there was one object that stuck out near the very back of the room. It was a tall cylinder, nearly twice Ed's height, covered in a complex and mystic style that weaved all round the it. Two small slits near it's top were all that gave a hint of what might be inside.

"Sage." 82 said, bowing her head slightly in respect.

Nothing happened at first, but the Eds were properly taken back when they saw that slits had sudden come to life with a faint green-blueish glow.

"Battle Mage," the slits said, further surprising the Ed boys "it has been quite some time since I've last spoke to you. How have your battles been?"

"Many. But all have been won thanks to your guidance and blessings." 82 spoke, rasing her head.

The girl then gestured back towards the three pre-teen behinde her.

"These are the recruits you had me find." she gave glare at them and turned back towards the sage "I mean no dis-respect, but I fail to see why you could possible belief these _boys _would help out in any way."

Eddy growled to himself, not liking the way the red head had said the word boys; the disdain was literally dripping from her words. He had half a mind to walk up to her and clock her square in the kisser; stopped only by a combination of Ed's strenght and the annoying little voice in his head known as his conscience (which he rarely ever listened to). 86 simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, aiming her attention at the Sage.

"...I admit, these young men have have with them their flaws: the short one is too irascible and vain, the tall one is too simple-minded, and the is far too good natured. But it is ultimately up to them if they are proved worthy." the stoic voice sounded.

Slowly, his eyes started to brighten until they shone a brillent blue-white. The Eds watched closely until they noticed they were being enveloped in a similar light, light creeping slowly upwards like a serpent. Ed started to laugh in his normal idiotic fashion while Double D and Eddy found themselves unable to even speak. The light quickly reached their eyes and they were blinded by it as it reached their eyes. The event seemed to last an eternity dispite the fact that it only lasted a few seconds.

When their vision finally returned, Edd opened his eyes to noticed that 86 was now staring at them with a look of shock plastered on her face. He opened his mouth to ask what she was so shock about, only to notice a sudden weight in his hand. He turned to look at it and saw that there was now a very strange object in it. It was a long staff that appeared to be peiced together with various sheets of metal with two blue orbs on either end. He tightened his grip, feeling the cold steel hit his palm, verifying that it did in fact exist.

Ed also found that he had weight in his hand and jumped up and down gleefuly as he held it tight. It his closed hand was a large sword, with a tan cloth wrapped grip with a green orb attached to it's bottom. The guard was a game controller and the blade was a deep bronze with a golden tip and red jewel near the top, a row of sharp spikes bent backwards gave it the apprence of a certain animal.

Eddy was also inspecting his hands, which were both filled by two large red and yellow disk-like objects. They each had a blue trim in the middle and a yellow circle on top, bringing him to peg them as something akin to an over-sized yo-yo/frisbee hybrid. He lifted them in each hand and noticed that they were surprisingly light, before he turned towards the sage as it spoke.

"You three have proven yourselves worthy and thus, I grant these Riters. Each is a manfestation of your both your inner strenghts and magical potential." he boomed and shifted his gaze towards Edd.

"You possess incredible and wisdom and wits, as well as a fascination with for inventing. You are strong willed and good hearted. Use this staff, Inventor's Craft, to light your path to the future."

He then turned to Ed, squeeling girlishly.

"You are strong and powerful, yet possess a gentle nature and innocence that is reserved for children. You are brave and couragous. Use sword, Flight of Fantasy, to cut down those in your way."

Finally, he turned to Eddy.

"You impulsive and arrogent, but will always be their for your friends and those closest to you. You are kind hearted and unwavering loyal. Use these disks, Gate Crasher, to protect those dear to you."

With that it turn back towards 86, who straightened her posture and stood at attetion.

"Train them well. You all have my blessings." And with that, his eyes faded and the room grew silent.

The Eds were speechless, dumbfounded as they simply stared at the objects in their hands. 86 joined in their disbelief, but only briefly before she regained her composure and proceeded to escourt the trio out of the chamber in her usual fashion of dragging.

* * *

The Eds, in their excited and confused state, failed to notice that the room they were was actually a dome. It was large, so large that it breached the surface, althought only enough to allow you to know that it was. And resting on the edge of this dome was Flapjack and K'nuckles. After steathily following the group from here to the bar, a relatively easy task made difficult by the Captain's overly noisely wooden creaks. When back they saw them head into the shack, K'nuckles had suggested they call off the pursuit and get back to some much needed candy, but Flapjack's curiousity and boundless energy guided him and his captain towards the domed opening.

Peeping inside, Flapjack watched with egarness he'd only expressed when his Captain and him went adventuring. Ears perked and eyes glued down below, he listened in on every detail, bouncing on his crouched feet. His excitment only further increased when he saw the blinding flash of light and the new weapons in the Eds hands. His excitment at it's peak, he leaned in to get a better look at the strange, magic tools. K'nuckles, meanwhile, hadn't bothered to look down longer than a breif second to decided he'd prefer sipping some syrup. He grabbed the flask and proceeded to drink, turning his glazing eyes towards the young lad...

...to notice that the lad had fallen throught the crack.

He hacked and gagged as he involentary gulped the liquid, sending it down the wrong pipe as he ran towards the boy.

"Flap!" he cried, his shouts echoing throught the large chamber.

When he got no response, his heart dropped as he considered what might have happened. He crouched on his wooden legs and pushed his head through the narrow opening. He grunted when he found himself only halfway through, his thick neck getting caught between the thin sheets of metal. Grunting, he planted his feet and started to push, feeling his body inch forward bit by bit.

"Flap!" he shouted once more, in-between his grunts.

As he pushed again, he noticed a small noise from underneath himself. He looked down to see Flapjack, dangling by his scarf from a loose screw, the fabric pulled over his mouth and muffling his strained voice.

"Mmf mph!" he shouted as he pulled on the scarf and pointed "Mmf...Cap'n! Look out!"

But the warning came too late. K'nuckles body was too far in and as he looked down, he soon fell down below, taking the lad with him. Their screams reverberated off the anicent structure and the two gripped each other tightly, sure that their demise was immient. So it was a surprising shock when they found themselves floating a few inches above the ground, surrounded in a bright blue light. They released their grip on each other and they lighted to the ground. Flapjack turned to see that the eyes were once again glowing brightly and the booming voice soon followed.

"Greetings, brave Adventurers. I trust you enjoyed the display earlier." The Sage spoke.

"Yeah! With all the bright lights and poetry and those really neat weapon-thingies they got!" the lad responed egarly.

"Hmp, hmp! I'm glad liked it, for I believe you two might also possess magical potenical."

Flapjack's mouth went slack and dry. They couldn't possibly be suggesting that he...and K'nuckles...

"No way! We don't want any of yer magic voodoo or whatever it is! Nuh-Uh!" the Captain said in an outburst.

"But Cap'n! I really wanna-"

"No buts! The last thing we need is more magic screwing around with our lives. For all we know, this guy might turn us inta fish, or frogs, or something! So come on! Let's get outta here." K'nuckles ordered and proceeded towards the door.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but that way would not be wise. It's guarded by Xaiolin Monks, trained and many forms of hand-to-hand combant as well as a wide range of weapons. their normal quite peaceful, but they won't hesitate to attack or possibly..."

K'nuckles stopped dead in his tracks and turn back around towards the giant cylindar sage. Flapjack gave his Cap'n a worried look before turning back towards the sage.

"So how can we get out?" he asked

"The only safe path is the one you came in. but to reach it, you'll need my help." he explained

Flapjack stared at K'nuckles and gave him hisw saddest, pleading face he could muster, hoping to sway his Captain's answer. The blue faced man sighed in defeat and Flapjack jumped up and down in joy.

"I promise, you won't regret this decision. Now please, close your eyes." The Sage warned before his eyes glowed the bright blue hue.

The two quickly obeyed and soon felt the warm light began to creep up their bodies swiftly. Moments pasted and the two felt new weights in their hands and quickly opened their eyes. Flapjack lit up with glee as he beheld the strange, candy striped weapon in his palm. The red and white stripes alternated along the sword-like shape, a blunt tip instead of a sharpened one extended from the black hilt and guard.

K'nuckles looked over his weapon also. To his surprise, it appeared to be a pistol with a wooden grip and steel barrel. Decorating it were different peices and bits of wood, giving the impression that it might have been made of wood with steel touches. He glanced over the weapon, feeling the trigger and handle mold to his firm grip.

"You," he spoke, addressing Flapjack "are innocent and free sprited, holding care for all living things. You are determined and thoughtful. Use this Riter, Sweet Justice, to repent the wicked."

K'nuckles clutched his new weapon as the Sage addressed him.

"You are self-centered and hold little value for those around you, but you possess a spark of noblity and will never give up on your goals. You are tenacious and tactful. Take this Riter, Captain's Law, and invoke fear in your enemies."

_Captain's Law, huh? _K'nuckles thought _Gotta nice ring to it._

"I wish you the best in the battles to come."

"Whoa! Wait-what battles?" K'nuckles asked

He found that he recieved no answer, only a brief flash of light and once again found themselves out outside the dome. Confused and flustered, the Captain gripped his fist in rage, only to here the crunch of paper in his dull wooden claws.

* * *

The Eds were currently worming their way throught the mass of bodies that filled the Bazzar, a long stripe that consisted of dozens of local shops and businesses as well as many more venders that crounched on the side of the road, showing off their wares. Ed had more than once attempted to stop to take a look at the numerous sparkling crystals that lied so tempting before him, only for Double D to sternly yanked him by the ear and away from the shiny objects.

86 was at the head of the group, as always, and frequently glanced back to make sure her new trainees weren't consumed by the hungry mob of bargin hunters. Having been in the Underground for as long as she had, she was accusmed to muscling her way through the thick mass of people. The Eds, on the other hand, were barely able to make head way as each step pushed them back another two. Groaning in aggrivation, 86 bee lined for the boys and grabbed them by the collar, resuming her rotinue of dragging the trio towards their destation.

Eddy had become increaseingly irritated at being pushed around, by a _girl_, and now he was being dragged off...by a _girl!_ The minute he learned how to use his Riter's, he'd give the red head a peace of his mind. Finally, he felt himself drop to the ground. Picking himself up, he found himself standing outside a small shop. It was painted green with two pillars of both sides holding up a gold trimmed wooden sign spelling out 'Sew N' Sew'. He cocked his head sideways and gave a cofused look, staring at the sign.

"Go on. I've already called ahead and paid for your fittings." the girl explained.

"Fittings?" Ed parroted

"Well, duh. These are the two most reknowned seamtresses in The Underground." 86 said.

"Seamstress? Like a super herione who burst house at the seams?" Ed said happyly, only to recieve a slap to the head.

"A seamstress makes clothes, idiot." Eddy explained as he remembered his mother's line of work "Meaning some chick'll be touching us..."

He leaned in close towards his smart friend. "..._All over...in the buff._"

Edd's face instantly caught fire, cheeks blushing so bright it looked as if he'd pass out at any time. Eddy flashed a devilish smile and slicked back his three hairs, puffing out his chest as he walked in; Ed dragging Double D who had been petrified in shock and embaressment. 86 only gave a sly smirk, knowing full well what hirlarity was about to ensure.

The inside of the shop was packed with everything one would expect: bright pink dresses hung on racks, tasteful tux were slung around the room, and rolls and balls of yarn were scattered across the room in masses and heaps. Blackets and quilts of patches hues and pictures were also abundent as well as desinger clothing of modern styles and trends. Whoever owner this shop that great taste and even greater skill.

"I hope they're twins. my brother told me they always fall for the same guy." Eddy announced to his friends.

"W-w-well, let's just get this experiance over and done with." Double D studdered.

Hand shaking with nerves, he pressed down on the bell and listened to the small chime the bell made before it faded. Almost immediately, a woman appeared. Unlike Eddy had hoped, the women was advanced in years, wrinkles framed her hagged face and un-nerving green eyes stared at the trio. Her voice was that of a Victorian Era resident and it spoke clear and sharp.

"Can I help you?" the woman said

"Yes, my assossicates and I were in formed that-" Double D started

The woman then disappeared, reappearing on the other end of the open twin doors.

"Can I help you?"

"Um...yes, we're here for-"

The womon than stepped from behinde the door, revealing that they weren't one person, but two heads attached to a single body. They were dressed inclassical black dress with a white belt and purple collar. Eddy and Edd recoiled in shock while Ed stared breifly before saying 'cool'.

"Can _we _help you?" they said in unison.

"...Hello." Double D said politely, if a little disturbed "My name is Eddward. And the ones next to me are my friends Ed and Eddy."

"Ellisa Stitch. Eliza Stitch." the women spoke "The Stitch Sisters!"

The two then broke out into a fit of laughtar before addresses the three.

"You're here for your fitting, I persumed." Ellisa, the first head, said and gestured towards the back room.

Eddy's heart hit the floor. Any hopes of bagging a girl were soundly crushed, blended, and put through an Incenerator. He found himself walking towards the back when the thought of the fact they were seamtresses hit him. Way no in heck was he letting these two old hags touch _any _part of him! He'd sooner whip them with his over-sized disks. He was all prepared to fight when he noticed that the women weren't anywhere near him, but they were standing on the other side of the room. He also noticed that they were standing on a large quilt.

Then, the quilt slowly sent out ripples of dark maroon energy, causing them to lightly prance in place. A pillar of fabric suddenly engulfed them, a tornado of strings and yarn flying accroach the room. The Stitch Sisters rasied their hands and started to move and splay their fingers in an elgant fashion, weaving colorful trails of lights that connect to the vortex of cloth. Inside, the Eds could feel themselves being striped bare by the force and then cringe as strings tightened themselves around the three boys. This went on for nearly five mintues before the vortex disappeared, leaving behinde three newly clothed figures.

Edd looked at himself in shock as he stared at his new attir. He was donned in new tropical orange shirt, a rather large jacket colored orange and resting on his shoulders. Black, fingerless gloves covered his hands and his signiture purple shorts and red socks were the rest of his esemble, save his hat which now had a single white line running down the middle.

Eddy found that he had on a yellow jacket with bands of purple and red on his shoulders, elbows and sleeve ends zip up. He was wearing his usual light blue pants with his chain hanging out his pocket, a strange charm now on its lenghts, and a red and white checkered striped hat with his three hair stick out the small opening in the front.

Ed was bearly able to control himself as he jumped up and down at the sight of the shoulder plates on his shoulder atop his lime green jacket, decorated with zippers down their lenghts. A sleevesless red and white strpied shirt and blue pants rounded out his new attir.

"My, my. Don't you three look handsome?" Eliza, the second head, said smoothly.

"I don't mean to sound ungratful, but how are these new clothes going to help us?" Double D asked

"These aren't ordinary clothes, dearie." Ellisa said, moving in close towards Edd "These are weaved from magic fabrics and sewn together throught incantations; magic garments to put it in simply."

"So what are these things suppose ta do, anyway?" Eddy asked, pulling on his new trends.

"Since your already a part of the Underground, these clothes will provide more than adequent protection against your eneimes." the sister's explained

"Shouldn't we have gotten, I dunno, armor or something?" Eddy asked

"Fet! Armor is so last century and far to bulky and noisey. These are more durable than any ordinary armor and can even enhance your abilities." the sister stopped and stared at the short Ed "Or bring them out, it appears."

The twins bent down and gingerly lifted Eddy's chain, running their fingers over the new charm adorning it.

"A summon. Quite rare for someone to already possess one, and even rarer for it to be brought out by something like this."

Eddy puffed up with pride at hearing this, smiling to himself at his greatness. Double D meanwhile simply sighed, following the ladies as they escourted the three young men outside. There, 86 was waiting, smirking at the expression Eddy had on his face. Signaling, the three followed after their apparent leader.

* * *

"Well that was werid, even fer us." Captain K'nuckles said as they left the Sew N' Sew.

The note that made mysterious appeared in his hand had instructed them to go to the shop to aquire a new set of clothes for the journey to come, which only made the man even more uncertain about his desicion to accept the Sage's offer. He was doubt was further established when he encounted the Stitch Sisters, who were far too strange even for his taste. His eyes darted down and looked over the new articles of clothings on him. His red jacket was replaced with a new one of brillent scarlet and gold trim with matching buttons. A black belt wrapped around his waist and he now had tanned pant that covered his frail wooden legs and new, sleek black boots. He had to admit, the old hags did a pretty good job.

Flapjack was also admiring his new attir, tugging on the sleeve of his new carnelian jacket with his usual shirt underneath, restored to it's former glory. Gone were his blue tights, replaced with a brown belt and matching pants with twin white stripes racing down the side with brown buckled shoes. The lad's smile refused to leave his face as he continued to poke and prod himself with glee. Only one question remained and it had finally come to the lad's atettion.

"What now, Cap'n?" he young boy asked, looking up at his friend.

"Huh?" K'nuckles was caught off guard by the question but kept his composure "That's easy! We go find Candy Island!"

"But shouldn't we tell Bentson that we're leaving? He might get mad if we just disappear."

"Don't worry! After all the work we've been doin', I'd say we've earned a little vacation. And what better vaction than going ta Candy Island!" the Captain asked.

Flapjack was concieved now and gave his Captain a nod before he resumed looking over himself. K'nuckles put his hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes, thinking. How were they going to find Candy island in the first place? In his time as a Santation Officer, he had seen a great many things and deduced that the world was a lot bigger than just ports and islands. No way would they make much head way if they went by foot and no way was he hitching a ride with some random stranger. Then, he saw it.

Sitting in the middle of the wide backalley was a ship, no bigger than a standard row boat, painted red with blue racing stripes and orange flames. The cockpit was slick like the ship and twin thruster were mounted as the ship's means of populsion. And standing around it was a group of three colorfully dressed teenagers, two chatting to the third. K'nuckles had already formed a plan and grabbed Flapjack by his blond scalp.

"That's our ride outta here, Flap me boy." he said in a low voice.

Flapjack studied the ship breifly and turned towards his Captain "Great idea, Cap'n! We can ask those guys for a ride!"

"No Flap. We're gonna take it." he corrected the boy.

"But isn't that stealing?" Flapjack asked, looking up at the man.

"No, no. We're just..um, _borrowing _it. Yeah."

"So we're gonna return it later?"

"Yeah, yeah. Now get ready. On my mark..."

Meanwhile, the three teens were busying dicussing their leader's vechile with admiration. The shortest, clad in baggy blue shorts and shirt, praised the construction while the next complimented the art style plastered onto the ship. The tall teen simply nodded his head and accepted the praising as he leaned on his prized machine. It was at this time that he jolted forward and fell on the ground unconscience.

Hopping into the ship, K'nuckles quickly took the wheel, engaged the ignition and himself and Faljack barreling throught the air.

"Thank you! We'll bring it back later!" Flapjack yelled out the window before sitting back on the pink cushioned seat.

The inside of the ship was much but still managed to awe the lad, who had only been in a ship once or twice. Fuzzy dice hung from the rear view mirrior and a small hulu dancing elephant with four eyes rocked back and forth as the ship rattled side to side. K'nuckles grunted as he tried to get a feel for the completely forigen controls, numbers and confusing text flashing on the front of the dash board. He leaned the wheel left and felt as the ship twisted in a spiral towards the ground before he managed to pull up and back to appropirate hight.

"You sure you know what you're doing, Cap'n?" Flapjack asked, gripping the plush seat.

"Yeah! Just like sailing a ship!" K'nuckles replied, using something he'd never been adept at as a comparison.

The man gripped the steering wheel and accedently pressed down on a button. The wheel whined and jolted upwards, startling the would be pilot. The handles retracted and twsited sideways, sending out a pair of short handle bars. The Captain stared cautiously at the new steer device before gingerly grabbing them.

"CAP"N!" Flapjack yelled

The man looked up and saw that a large building was now directly in their path, which they rokecting towards at alarming speeds. The man paniced and pulled the handles upwards, watching at the side hurled upwards and out of harm's way. The man looked back stunned at the sight of what he just did. He then moved the handles right and felt the ship response near instantly, curving in said direction. The man smirked and pushed forward, the ship blasting forward at break-neck speeds. He jerked to the left as he passed a rather large vessel, moving out of harm's way.

"Watch get, Gramps!" a short, red capped boy shouted.

"You're one calling gramps!" the man rebutted before jetting through a small opening in the underground walls.

Following the long tube, the two exited into a forest, sunlight causing them to hiss after being underground for so long. Looking back, they could see the visage of New Metropolis in all its glory, shining brightly in the shining sun. Sighing, Flapjack turned once more towards his Cpatain, he turned and smiled.

"Next stop..."

"...Candy Island!" the two said in unison before flying off into the sunset.

* * *

Laughtar and chattered erupted from the small room within the Underground Headquarters, voices rambling on and on about various things. In this metal clad building and in that certain room was Squad 7 of the Front-line Reponse Force. It's leader, 86, was leaning on the wall while Double D sat and patted his new comrade Courage on the head. Courage was peculiar dog, with unusual pink fur and large black spot on his back which was covered by his blue vest. The dog acted as the squad's medic and had a varity of healing spells in his arsenal as well as a few defensive and offsenive ones as well. Currently, he was rolled over and enjoying the smart was giving him.

Ed was busy chatting it up with Clam, a small rhino wearing a black helement and brown shirt with a red scraf wrapped around his neck with black black and shoes. The small lad was responsible for a long range capabilties of the team as well as their own 'Fix-it' man and secondary pilot. While he was undenibly a genius, his simple speech and parroting tendicies led one to belief other wise. He and the tall Ed were discussing their favorite foods, which quickly managed to turn their team mates stomach.

Eddy was simply lying off in a corner, twirling his Riter around on the tip of his finger. After doin this for a few minutes, he quickly became bored and groaned loudly.

"Can we leave already!" he yelled impatiently.

"Not until Hoagie gets back from checking over the ship." the girl explained, for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Can't he do that later? I'm ready ta get going!"

"Oh, so you _want _to fall out the sky or exploded into a thousand, fiery pieces?" she questioned.

Eddy quickly fell silent, save for a few grunts and mutters. Not to soon after the boy genius bursted throught the door, covered in grease, oil, and what appeared to be chili. Eddy perked up and grinned happily as did Ed and Clam, all ready to leave.

"All set?" 86 asked.

"Yep. Ready and waiting." Numbah two replied.

No sooner than he did, he was nearly trampaled by Eddy and friends as they made their way towards the hanger. Double D tsked their behavior and helped the boy to his feet as they also walked towards the hanger. Beneath the Headquarters was the hanger, a huge area filled with wrenches turning, people shouting, and engines humming. Double D was immediately fasinated but 86 grabbed him before he had a change to slip into one of his over curious states. As they neared their own vessel, they found Eddy, Ed and Clam standing in front, marvaling at the large ship.

The ship was composed of a large square shed with two boats jetting out in front with cockpits covering their tops. A pair a wings made from large metal bill boards jutted from from either side with engines beneath each. Five large thrusters in the rear and a large domed canopy completed the machine, giving it a patched together look. Double D was both intriguied and worried about the craft as Numbah 2 opened the door inside.

Stepping inside, they found that it was also like the outside, in the sense it appeared as if it were patch together. A classic living room area with funiture and various television and other items beheld the room.

"This is the Control room where we'll pilot the ship, watch some cartoons, and monitior all other basic function like heating, energy distribution, and junk like that. Upstairs is where you'll find your rooms, where you can chill and relax between missions. And the back is the engine room and my personal workshop. So go ahead and get settled, we leave in T-minus 2 minutes." Numbah 2 explained.

The group nodded and each headed upstairs, a frantic scrambling for rooms soon following. It was as the Eds started to unpack that they felt the ship jolt forward. Eddy rolled across the floor of the room before hurling towards the window as the craft blasted off.

"_Sorry about that guy!" _Numbah 2'a voice coming from the speakers "_Thrusters seem to be acting funny. I'll get it fixed right away."_

Eddy groaned as he pulled himself from the window, only to miss getting hit by a speeding ship piloted by a middle aged man.

"Watch it, Gramps!" Eddy yelled

"Who're you calling gramps!" the blue faced man rebutted before blasting into a tunnel.

Eddy found that they also entered a tunnel, the darkness outside his window a clear indicator of it. Moments later, sunlight invaded his eyesight and he squinted his eyes from being underground. He looked out the window to see that they were passing over New Metropolis, their old home passing beneath them. Sighing, Eddy gave his home one final bid good-bye before closing the window and hitting his bed. Today had really taken it ou of him.

* * *

**Author's notes: **First off: HOLY MOTHER! 8000 PLUS WORDS! This is a first for me and I really didn't mean to make the chapter so long, but I might as well seeing as it's been a month since I've updated. Anyway, I just realised how the crystal system resembles that of the blastia from Tales of Vesperia ( A great game, if you haven't played it, I highly recommend it!) soooo...yeah. Crystals will act as the main items in the stories and will be used to upgrade the Eds as well as...other things.

The lack of the other kids in this chapter is because I was so focused on the Eds but don't worry! Two will be very important elements in the story and will be featured in the next chapter. As for the Riter's, think of them as my version of the Keyblade and magical potential as having the ability to use magic (which was pretty obvious).

Flapjack and K'nuckles will definitely be featured throughtout the story and play a HUGE part, espically Flapjack. I hope I managed to potray them correctly. Also, as I want this to be as deversive a story as possible, I included charaters from all over.

The Stitch Sisters are from Courage the Cowardly dog and the name of the shop is from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. The Teenagers and Monks are from Samurai Jack and the crystals are from Storm Hawks. The Sage is (insert shocking name here).

So there you have it. The Eds are off towards what is about to be their first battle and Flapjack and K'nuckles are off towards Candy island. When will the two cross pathes again...sooner than you think. TTFN!


	3. Before the Storm

Author's Notes: Here it is, in all its glory. Taking Yoshermon's advice, I'm cutting the chapters down so there easier to read. It's a little over the limit this time, but much shorter than it's orginal document. So anyway, enjoy and review!

* * *

Chapter 3: Befor the storm

The light in the training room was dim, save for a single spotlight that shone brightly onto the two opposing figures in the center of the mat. Wrapping his bandanna tightly around his forehead, the small Ed glanced at 82, looking just as calm as she'd always been. She was standing still in her green traced gi, waiting with smug anticipation for the boy's first move. She didn't have to wait long as Eddy ran up and swung with a right hook.

She ducked and the Ed only briefly stared before swinging again, missing her completely. The match continued in this manner; Eddy swing, 82 dodging, each failed hit making him angrier and angrier. He swung again and the girl, expectantly, dodged. However, a smirk on his face revealed a second fist incoming right at her side. 82 remained composed and grabbed his fist and flashed a smirk her own. Eddy barely had time to consider what happened before he found himself lying face down the mat. Body racked with pain, he endured and charged once again at his commanding officer.

Watching the spectacle was Ed, Clam, and Double D, taking their seat on the polished oak floor. Ed and Clam both cheered for their short friend, despite the fact that he was being soundly beaten, while Double D simply watched with grimace. 82 had suggested that they have a friendly sparring match to assess their skills in combat and from there she would be able to work out a training plan that would best suited for them. And as this bout with Eddy proved, they had quite some ways to go.

"Say Uncle." 82 teased as she held Eddy in choke hold.

When the boy growled and squirmed, she tightened the grip, effectively cutting off his oxygen and knocking him out. She gingerly placed him on the mat before slapping him across the face, jarring him from his state of unconsciousness.

"I can see that'll have ta really work on you, huh?" she said, helping the boy up.

"You just got lucky. I just took it easy on ya cause you're a girl." Eddy stated, rubbing his neck.

"Really? Would it help if I had a handicap?" she asked, placing a hand behind her back.

"Naw, I'm good." Eddy said quickly, knowing that even with _both _hands tied behind her back, she'd still floor him.

He achingly walked over to the floor, enthusiastic cheers from Clam and Ed greeting him. Eddy simply told Ed to shut it and sat down grumbling.

"Alright," 82 announced "Edd, you're up."

Edd simply stared at the girl, as if she just sprouted a second head and gills. _There was no way she could be serious! _He thought to himself in an attempt to calm himself. But he knew all too well that she was very serious and beckoned him with a jerk of her head. With great hesitation, he stood and entered the mat. Heart pounding against his chest, the smart Ed bowed and the two assumed fighting stances…

…or at least 82 did.

Double D was too shaken by his nerves to even attempt to form any signs of a coherent stance. This did not detour her, however, as she rushed forward and jabbed at his vulnerable chest. He was so filled with fright that it shocked even 82 when he dodged the blow. Dumbfounded, he managed to back away from another blow before sprinting to his left, yelling in fear as he assumed the position he'd become so familiar to.

"Get back here!" the girl cried, chasing after him with a shaking fist.

All Eddy could do was watch with complete stupidfication as the much weaker and frail boy managed to not only outrun but dodge the girl's blows when she ventured too close. Ed and Clam were in an uproar now, shouting out blurts of encouragement. Then, Edd tripped and barely found time to dodge the descending strike. _I can't stay on the defensive forever. Have to find an opening to attack. _Double D thought as deftly dodged the left hook.

82 spun around and struck with a roundhouse kick, which missed and exposed her torso. _Now! _the Ed thought with confidence before striking with as much power as he could muster. The attack connected perfectly and the dull thud resounded throughout the room. An odd silence permeated the air, eyes filled with anxiety waiting to see the outcome of the blow.

"YEOWCH!" Double D screamed at the top of his lungs as he gripped his hand which pulsed with pain.

Eddy sighed and Ed cheered louder, congratulating his friend on his successful strike. 82 glanced at Edd and then looked at her torso, then back, and stared. Was that really it? All he could manage was that pathetic punch? She quickly regained her composure and gave a quick jab to the lad's side, sending him flying to the edge of the mat. When he came to a stop, he gripped his side and groaned in pain. _Well one's got no technique and the other can't throw or take a punch, _82 thought before sighing _This is gunna take a while. _

As she helped the smart boy to his feet, Numbah 2's voice came booming over the intercom.

"_Alright guys, we're here_!"

"And where exactly would 'here' be?" Edd asked

"_Come and see for yourselves!" _the pilot advised before cutting off.

The group hurried towards the Main Control Room and found Hoagie at the helm, Courage relaxing in the couch. They only briefly stared at them before they made their way to the glass windows, mouths agape with awe.

Out in the near distance was a tall tree, springing not from the ground but from a two story house. But even more strange and intriguing was the many structures sticking out from nearly every visible branch, green leaves scarcely growing out from within the cracks. There were also many metal sheets and wires coating the structures, causing a sharp glare in the sun. The whole image gave the distinct feel of a tree house

"Welcome, boys," 82 said from behind "to Sector Outpost Alpha."

"Anything, Flap?"

"Not yet, Cap'n." Flapjack replied for the fifth time.

The captain and his boy had been flying around the sky for what felt like days, dispite the fact that it had only been a few hours. K'nuckles had hoped they'd be able to find the fabled isle faster from the air but so far, the results proved him wrong. The old captain reached for one of the knobs and turned them until he was able to hear the soothing sounds of some strange techno music. It had grown on him after his fruitless attempts to change to something else only ended with him shouting.

Flapjack rested back into the seat, head plopped in his hands, and sighed. So far, this adventure wasn't going as well he hoped. Even the thrill of being in a flying ship had faded after the first two or three hours. He reached down to his belt and pulled at the charm attached to his belt.

The boy eyed the shrunken form of his Riter with curious eyes before sighing once again. He wished something would happen so he'd have an actual chance to use it, even thought part of him wished the calm would continue. That was thrown out the window when a glimmer of light caught his attention.

"What's that?" the lad asked

The captain turned his head, interested in what the boy had found. It was small and a good ways off, but there was definitely something down.

"Let's go see." The captain replied and lunged the ship forward

"Way cool." Ed commented as they left the docking bay and entered the complex.

It was truly a sight: tall ceiling, cr iss-crossing hallways and doors every few feet, all made of wood. Walking these halls were dozens of Underground fighters, each busy with various tasks while others simply goofed off. Never had the Eds seen so many people in such a small space, being from such a small neighborhood and all. The door in front of them opened and the trio followed the red haired girl and found themselves inside an elevator.

The elevator stopped after a short while and the four exited into the new room. It was large room with five red chairs seated around a large tire that acted as a table with train hanging from the ceiling. Double D was engrossed with area, most notable the hanging train. As he looked around, he found a figure sitting on the far side of the room in a meditative pose. The instant he moved towards him, the figure leaped to their feet and vaulted into the air and landed behind 82.

"Captain." The girl said turning around.

"Fran." The figure replied

"These are the recruits the Sage had me get. They're not much but I'm I can train them to be a force to be reckoned with." The girl explained.

The figure turned and when his face met the Eds, they all gasped in shock.

"Johnny!"

"Guys!"

"I take it you know each other?" Fran said with confusion.

"Yeah, we do! What are you doing here, Johnny? This ain't a real tree house, you know." Eddy said

"Don't talk ta him like that! He's the Captain of the Underground Special Operations Unit, youngest one ever too!" Fran shouted back at the boy

He was taken back, to say the least, and stepped back behind Ed. Double D also looked shaken, but not by fear but curiosity. He could've sworn he saw the girl's face brightening with a rich shade of red and her sudden snap at Eddy was unexpected.

"Easy, Fran. I know these guys. They're okay in my book." The boy said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.

And instead of grabbing it, she shook in surprise, the blush on her face deepening. In an attempt to regain herself, she shook her head and tried to change the subject.

"So, Johnny…Sir. You said you had some news for me?" she shuttered, losing her calm demeanor with each passing second.

"Right. There's been some activity near the Drop lately and I want you and your team to help out. Think you're up to it? I could always give the mission to someone else if you aren't-"

"Of course we'll take it!" Fran shouted

A moment later, her face went red with embarrassment. Double D was finding this to be more curious by the minute. Where was this Drop? And what significance did it hold to cause such attention? Whatever the cause, Edd knew he would soon find out.

"Guys, why don't you go over to the break room? I have a surprise waiting that I know you'll like." Johnny said, pointing downing down the hall.

"Oh! I bet it's a Radioactive Spider Monkey from Venus-12 in the Rumba Galaxy!" Ed shouted

"I bet its cash! Or jawbreakers!" Eddy yelled

Double D simply sighed and hurried after his friends as they headed down the hall. Whizzing their way through the wandering bodies, they quickly made their way to the door and Eddy eagerly opened it. When he did, the smile on his face disappeared, replaced with disappointment. Ed and Double D peered over his shoulder to see what had caused this reaction and were frozen in shock.

"What're you dorks doin' here?" came the familiar ring of the jock's voice.

"Kevin! Nazz and Rolf, you're here as well?" Double D said as he looked around the room.

"Baby sister!" Ed cried and hugged his little sibling.

Sarah then promptly smashed her fist into his jaw, sending him across the room. Of course, the tall boy stood right back up, in his own typical fashion.

"How did you all get here?" Double D inquired

"It was weird. We were just wondering around the city when all of a sudden these guys come and scope us up. They dropped us off here and Johnny explained everything." Nazz explained

"Same here, except we were carried off by some giant pink thing." Sarah explained

"I see…Sarah, where did you get that?" Double D asked, pointing toward her arm.

Sarah lifted her arm and stared at the blue tattoo that adorned it. She simply shrugged.

"I don't know. I must have got it at that fair me and Jimmy went to or something."

Double D placed a finger on his chin, thinking. A blaring alarm interrupted his thoughts and gained everyone's attention.

"_Attention! All Operatives heading for The Drop report to Launch Bay Seven! I repeat, report to Launch Bay Seven!"_

"I guess that's referring to us." Double said and headed for the door.

To his surprise, everyone else also got up and headed for the door.

"We're going too." Kevin said, walking passed the Ed "As if we'd leave this to a couple of dorks like you."

Eddy prepared for an outburst, but Ed yanked him from the ground along with Double D and headed off towards the launch bay. There, Fran and Johnny were waiting for them and others, ready to launch. The kids all climbed in, closed the door, and they rocketed out of wooden hanger.

The Drop was named so because of its infamous history. It was here that the war first began, where the famous battles were fought, where the old generation surrendered to the new generation and to this day was still the battle field for many powerful bouts. The true reason for its name, however, was because this was where the troops were 'dropped' into battle.

The battles had scarred the once gorgeous landscape, turning it into a barren wasteland of twisted flora and deformed fauna. Even the sky was marred, darkened with debris and thick cloud cover. Squad Seven's ship pierced the thick clouds, sailing downwards towards the scarred earth. Ed peered out the window, face smudged against the glass. Double D was also fixated on the strange landscape, eyes wide in horror more than excitement.

"Man, it looks like a twister hit this place." Eddy said as he stared out the window.

"I wish that was all that hit it." Johnny said somberly.

Shortly after, the craft landed on the ground with a loud thud, sending small wakes of dust in all directions. The door flew opened and the group poured out, each in awe of the landscape.

"Alright everyone, here's the plan. Ed, you, Sarah and Jimmy go check to the west. Double D, you, Nazz, and Rolf go check to the east. Eddy, you and Kevin go check to the South. Me and Fran will go check the north." Johnny explained

Everyone nodded and headed off in their respective directions.

Sarah huffed under her breath as she treaded the dust laded earth. She really didn't like being paired with her brother to begin with and his acting like a complete brain dead idiot wasn't helping one bit. She had to admit, though, the weapon he was carrying was pretty neat. Jimmy, on the other hand, found the weapon to be un-nerving, especially with Ed swinging it aimlessly.

The trio stopped when they reached the edge of an old, dried up ravine. Dust and gravel laid were there was once roaring streams of waters. Ed, in his eagerness, slid down the curved slope in a surf-like manner.

"I am Loathar, Surfer of sand and Destroyer of Evil!"

"Ed! Get back here you idiot!" Sarah yelled loudly

When her brother failed to heed her, she growled and headed after him. When she reached the bottom, she was welcomed to the sight of Ed standing perfectly still. Sarah cocked her head in confusion as Jimmy fell face first beside her. Just ahead was a ship, made of sleek steel bolted to thick frame, resting near a mangled tree.

"Cool. We went inna circle." Ed announced goofily.

"I don't think that's our ship, Ed." Sarah said

A second later, a burst of red energy exploded near the girl's foot. They all turned their heads towards the source, a soldier wielding a crossbow. He shouted loudly and soon he was joined by more soldiers wielding swords, daggers, and other weapons and charged at the trio. Ed simply laughed uncontrollably and raised his sword high. Shouting a battle cry, he ran head first into the growing crowd of troops.

Meanwhile, Double D and his group had already met trouble. While surveying a steep chasm, the three were caught by surprise by a group of soldiers wielding crystal powered daggers. Double d dodged a swift slash and rolled backwards into a boulder and hit his head against the hard stone. A dagger happy soldier smiled wickedly over the Ed and plunged his dagger towards the Ed's chest. Double D yelled in fright and raised his staff, blocking the incoming blade.

Using all his might, he forced the dagger away long enough to roll to safety.

"Double D Ed boy! Keep behind Rolf!" the tall foreigner ordered.

Double D didn't have time to argue, as another soldier charged in their direction. Rolf gripped his pitchfork and swung it in a wide arc, knocking the man aside.

"Ahhh!" Nazz shouted in fright.

Behind her another soldier had sprung from hiding, ready to strike. The girl then gave a yell before kicking the man square in the jaw, sending him tumbling across the ground.

"Take that, you creep!" she said shaking her fist.

Soon, it was she and Rolf both attacking the soldiers, subsequently protecting Double D. Right now, his confidence was feeling a tad low. Even Nazz was fighting, taking up arms with bare fists. He knew he wasn't strong, or powerful, but he had to do something besides just sit there. The smart Ed rose from the ground and swung at the nearest soldier. The man easily caught it and yanked the boy over his shoulder and into the chasm.

"Ed boy! Double D!" The two shouted, but there was nothing they could do to stop the boy's descent down into darkness.

Double D panicked. Any sense of rationality he had as gone with the light. A thousand things flashed through his head: What was he going to do? Would he be able to stop? Was this it? Was he going to die or was he going to keep falling for eternity? He continued to yell, even after his grip on his weapon failed and it disappeared below him. The boy could feel his lungs catch fire when he felt himself stop, causing him to cough roughly.

"What? How on earth?" he asked to no one.

He looked below himself and found that he was floating on a board of metal and radiate blue energy. It took the smart Ed only a few seconds to put two and two together, coming the conclusion that somehow his weapon had transformed into a small hover board.

"Fascinating. I wonder if it's propelled Floater crystals or a magic-based engine system.' The boy wondered "No, no. There'll be time for that later."

Slowly he rose from his flat position, precariously balancing himself as his body wobbled with each tremor of his overworked nerves. Once he was steady and erect, he worked on the issue of trying to figure out how to work the contraption. He gentle placed his foot forward and felt his entire body rock forward. He struck his foot back and felt his body push forward, nearly falling off the board.

"Alright, I think it's safe to assume that its pressure sensitive." the boy said, gripping the edges.

Double D stood upright and gently placed his foot forward, feeling the board steadily push forward. He slammed down and felt a surge of energy and wind as he felt himself being propelled at an incline up towards the surface.

Eddy and Kevin found their share of problems as well. As soon as they were out of sight, they were attacked by soldiers. Kevin whipped his wrench in wide arches and Eddy started lashing out with his Riter. The short boy ducked a swipe of an incoming blade and tossed his weapon, watching it miss and sail out of sight.

"Crap!" Eddy screamed

The soldier grinned menacingly and kicked Eddy to the ground, raising his blade high. Eddy scooted back and the soldier lowered his blade…

…before being out cold as Eddy's weapon returned.

The boy grabbed his chest, heart speeding passed the limit, and realized his hand was glowing with a brilliant rope of blue energy which was connected to the disk-like weapon. It reeled in as he tugged and the boy gave a broad smile before rising to his feet and into battle.

Fran was conflicted. On one hand, she was excited she was on a mission with her superior and being able to fight by his side. And on the other hand, she felt just a bit unprofessional putting the fight she was currently in behind her own personal affections. Sure, there was a flurry of energy bolts pelting down around her, but she more concerned about how she get in closer with Johnny.

"Look out, Fran!"

The girl turned to see a soldier leaping towards her before being engulfed in a tangled mess of vines. Johnny rose his staff from the ground, racing over towards the girl.

"You alright?" Johnny asked before turning his back to hers.

"Yeah, nothing broken. Too bad I can't say the same about them." Fran smiled, aiming her pistol at the soldiers.

"Well, you know what they say: Misery loves company."

The two them yelled and charged into the growing crowd of enemies.

Elsewhere, an aircraft touched down, letting out its sole two occupants. The first out of the small craft was a young boy wearing a blue shirt with dark blue shorts and black shoes. He was also wearing a white hat that covered his entire head. The other was a dog with strange, yellow fur walking behind the boy.

"Woo! Are you as psyched as I am, Jake!" the boy asked enthusiastically

"I guess so. I still don't see what the big deal is." Jack said.

"What do you mean? This is huge-scratch that-mega huge!" the boy said in excitement "We've been chosen to the Elite Guard! Their like super-ninja bodyguards for good!"

"Yeah, if you say so. What're we even doing here again, Finn?" Jake asked

"Duh, our final test, remember? All we have to do is find some of those Underground guys and bring them back for questioning and stuff."

Jake just gave his friend a weird look but followed him anyway. As the duo walked down the war beaten path, they noticed a glimmering sheen in the distance. With youthfully curiosity, Finn and Jake hurried towards the source of the enticing light. When they arrived, they saw that right in front of was a tall, black monolithic circle. Chains were wrapped many times over with heavy pillars anchoring them in place. A deep haunting feeling engulfed Jake, every one of his animal instincts telling him to run.

"I think we should go Finn." Jake said, voice quivering with fear

Finn ignored him and started climbing the tall obstacle, scaling the walls like a monkey. When he reached the top, he stood still and looked down at the transparent glass covering. Jake's shouts of warning and protest went unheard as he gently bent down touched the glass. He rubbed fog from the surface and peered deeply into reflective glass. As he leaned in closer he was startled…

…by the appearance of two ghostly white eyes.

* * *

Author's Notes: Hooray for Cliffhangers! Even if it is slightly vauge and Finn and Jake's introduction a bit sudden. And there's gonna be character deaths soon...so, there. You've been warned. TTFN!


	4. Rushing Tide of Battle

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait but here it is. If your not a fan of character death then I'd advise you to not read because there will be character deaths. Anyway, enjoy and please review!

* * *

Chapter 4: Rushing Tide

Finn clasped his chest as he tried to regain his composure. Slowly, he crawled back to his feet and to the edge of the glass, the black void of nothingness staring back at him. He could still hear Jake's cries of protest, growing even fainter as he stared once again into the ebony pool. Listlessly, he lowered his head towards the smooth glass surface.

"Finn! Come on, let's get out of here!" Jake yelled from afar.

"Geez, Jake! Can't you be just a little more excited!" Finn yelled back annoyed.

Suddenly, he drew his hand back in pain as he felt a shock from his hand. A dark crackle of energy almost too small to be noticed snaked into the glass. Rumbling caught Finn's attention before the rumble soon turned into a distorting quake that pulled him back to the ground. The chains that bound the glass shook violently as their pillars were uprooted and tossed to the ground. Finn yelled and shrieked in terror as the event became progressively worse, running about as he tried to make his way off the structure. Then, the glass burst open. From it a rich dark mass of black substance rushed out like bats from hell. It rose to the sky like a geyser before it calmed and subsequencely came falling back down to earth. Finn screamed in horror at his approaching death before a yellow mass wrapped around his waist and pulled him to high ground.

"Finn! What did you do man!" Jake asked once Finn was sat down.

Finn could only stay flabbergasted, eyes glued on the destruction he'd just unleashed.

* * *

Ed swung his blade and ducked an incoming blow before swing again. The lad was in his happy place, feeling like he was right in one of his comic books as he effortlessly mowed down the enemy. He was also glad that he didn't have to watch Sarah, who had already defeated her own share of baddies. The girl was going at it bare-handed, fist colliding with armor before crumpling it and proving its worthlessness. Jimmy, as to be expected, was crouched behind his friend, rooting for her with cheers of encouragement.

Ed raised his sword high and was ready to deliver another blow which he was sure to be epic when all of a sudden, the ground started to shake. The vibrations soon intensified and everyone turned in the direction of the where water once flowed. Seconds pasted in silence until the mass of blackness came rushing in, engulfing entire trees and hundreds of feet of land.

"It's the big one!" Ed yelled and pointed.

Everyone, at the sight of the monstrous tide, dropped their weapons and rushed for the edge of the bank. Ed's brotherly instincts kicked in and he scooped up a stupefied Sarah and Jimmy and made a mad dash for land. There, he crawled quickly up the highest nearby hill and planted his sibling and her friend on the dusty ground just moments before the tide lapped at the edges of the tall hill. Death rattles and final screams echoed all around before they were swallowed up by the gurgling torrent.

Elsewhere, Eddy and Kevin were making a run for shelter as the tide soared into a high arc, impending to fall. The small Ed scrambled up the hill with Kevin right behind along with the soldiers they were just previously engaging. His hand shakily caught a tuff of grass that had struggled through when a soldier tugged on his ankle, demanding him to pull him up.

"Ever hear of every man for himself!" Eddy inquired as he attempted to drag the man upwards as well.

With a few claws full of dirt, he managed to bring himself up with Kevin right beside him. He turned and reached for the man, trying to help him up. The man's pleas for help dissipated as his face was devoured by the blackness of the tide along with anyone else who was unfortunate been at the enough to not have been at the top. Eddy could only look down terrified at the scene, thinking only of how that could have been him.

"Ed boy!" Rolf shouted as he saw Double D explode from the darkness of the chasm.

He quickly maneuvered his hoverboard and landed right next to his two friends, beckoning them aboard. Quickly, the two agreed and hopped on no sooner than the torrent of dark substance came rushing through. Double D, with his limited knowledge and skill with his new mode of transportation, quickly and clumsily made his way upwards. He twisted and turned as the sea seemed to swat at him with large laps of water until he successfully made it a safe distance above the torrent.

"My lord…What is that?" Double D asked

"Double D…I'm-I'm scared." Nazz said and wrapped her arms around the smart Ed.

He blushed but maintained himself, not wanting to move too much with his two passengers. Everything that was in its path was in its path was engulfed except for the highest hills and trees. The land looked eerily bleak and the substance made Double D feel nauseous. As he somberly thought about the true destructive powers of this event, Rolf yelled and alerted him of the approach of a long, tentacle from the black mass.

"What the heck's goin' on!" Fran yelled as she shot at the creature that had arrived with the strange ebony tide.

The creatures were dark like the tide they came in with, pointed ears fringed backwards with narrow eyes and sharp claws. They scurried about like rats as the girl fired her pistol, but whatever number were destroyed, more filled in the gaps in even bigger numbers. Seeing that her pistol was having little effect, she holstered it and reached behind her back. Grabbing the hilt, she unsheathed a strange weapon which started as an orange and blue gun but had a blade where the barrel would be. With her battle cry, she leapt forward and cleaved three of the creatures in two with a single slash.

She moved backwards and switched to a more comfortable backhanded grip. Soon, she was tearing through the ranks with quick and well timed blows. However, even this wasn't enough to stop the ever marching hoard and the girl found herself being pushed back as she fought to hold her ground. She double backed and drew her blade, causing it to hum with orange energy. She threw it forward and crescent of energy sliced through a large crowd of creatures, which replaced themselves almost instantly.

As they approached, she found herself saved by the entrance of a series of thick, green vines. Fran looked back and saw Johnny leap overhead and land in a sweeping motion, destroying a large amount of creatures in a single swoop. As Fran looked at her commanding officer, all she could think about was how amazing he looked when he was serious or how the way he smiled always made her quiver. How his eyes shown a brilliant hazel that danced with color and how his skin was flawless and the perfect shade of tan. It was at this time that she slapped herself in the face, regaining her composure.

"Fran! We've got to go, now!" Johnny yelled

He sternly took her by the hand and her face lit up bright rouge. Her pulse was racing and sweat was starting to dampen her shirt. She was so intoxicated with Johnny that she failed to notice that the tide had risen and was currently closing in. Johnny slammed his staff on the ground and summoned a large vine, shooting off just in time to miss the torrent as it closed in around them. Their troubles were far from over, however, as the inky tide snaked up the vine and poisoned and withered it as it did. Johnny hissed and summoned more vines from the first, the substance now travelling after him at more accelerated rate.

"It keeps following us, no matter how many vines I make." Johnny deduced

He then held his staff forward, summoning a large leaf where he was standing. From there, it broke off and hovered quickly away from the decaying foliage. Once a safe distance away, the captain noticed that his subordinate was clutching his chest rather tightly.

"Um, Fran? You're kinda…choking me a bit."

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Fran quickly said and blushed loudly.

* * *

As the kids wondered how and what this stuff or thing might be, another familiar duo were just arriving.

"What the heck is that stuff?" Knuckles asked, steering just above the mess.

"Looks like a whole sea of black licorice." Flapjack said excitedly, bouncing in his seat.

Knuckles, however, knew that this certainly wasn't any candy he'd ever seen before. The bubbling muck made him feel rather sick, but he was still curious nonetheless. So, the captain looked for the driest piece of land he could find and landed the craft accordingly. When the two stepped out, they were greeted to the sight of a black sea which had engulfed much of the surrounding area. Flapjack, upon seeing it was hopping with joy, knowing that they had finally made it somewhere exciting. And where there was excitement, there was bound to be an adventure waiting not too far away.

"Come on, Cap'n! Let's explore!" Flapjack said in his upbeat attitude.

Knuckles, for the first time, were excited about the thought of adventure. Something about this strange sea made his old bones ache with a cold and ominous force. However, he followed the lad as best he could with his old and tired bones to the edge of isle on which they had landed on. Flapjack, as many adventures do when faced with an obstacle like this, poked it with a fallen stick. The instant it touched the surface, the muck rose up and wrapped around it, nearing dragging Flapjack into it as the stick vanished into its depths. It was then he knew for certain that this was definitely _not _candy. Even more potent of this point was the raising of the strange creatures from the sea. They hiss with none-existence mouth and circled the pair.

"What are these things?" Flap asked as he pulled out his Riter.

"Shoot first, ask questions later, Flap!" the captain shouted and fired off a round.

The creatures instantly scattered in all directions, assuming an attack position as they lunged forward in quick bursts. Their speed made it hard for Knuckles to aim and instead took up randomly shooting about, hitting a few every so often. Flapjack, on the other hand, was busy simply trying to avoid getting hit. The creatures continuously struck his blade and nicked away at his Riter, which was now shaking violently in his hands. Flap pushed against the creatures and dodged to the side. He drew his weapon back and swung widely, taking out two of creatures, which disappeared in a haze of black smoke-like trails. Of course, it wasn't long before more of the creatures showed up and the captain and the lad found themselves quickly outnumbered.

They made a dash for the ship but it was blocked by a row of the creatures. With their path cut off, Flap scanned the area and found a small strait just their side. Signaling the captain, the two plowed through the creatures in their way and proceeded safely down the path. Flapjack looked back saw that the creatures weren't chasing them and had simply melted back into the sea.

"…That was too close." Knuckles heaved as he rested against a tree.

"Alright, Cap'n, let's go!" Flapjack proclaimed and proceeded to march down the path.

"What! Are you crazy, Flap? We need to get the heck outta here!"

"But Cap'n, we just got here. And if we leave now, we might not get another chance to explore it. Besides, we can handle ourselves with these Riter thingies. So what do you say?"

Knuckles waited a few seconds before groaning and walking slowly after the boy.

Elsewhere, Finn was also having his own adventure in fighting these strange creatures. His sword slashed through the numerous surrounding creatures while his shield parried against the attacks. Jake was molding his body into various weapons and forms to combat them as well. The duo were doing an excellent job of defending themselves, with the two being at home in their own element: fighting. After his blade cleaved through the final creature, Finn stabbed his weapon into the ground, huffing proudly.

"That…was…awesome!" Finn shouted

"Yeah, it was fun and all, but shouldn't we be heading back to NM?" Jake asked

"What? No, we still have to finds those Underground guys and bring them to justice." Finn said the last bit slowly for dramatic effect.

"Really? Because we haven't seen anyone since we got here. Plus, these black, goblins, claw… things keep showing up and that tides getting' higher."

"Don't be a wuss man. A little water never hurt anyone."

Jake looked at him skeptically when the ground started to quake again. The two rearmed themselves and prepared for whatever threat came their way. Moments later, a giant creature, colored the same as the first with a spiked mace for a hand and bits and pieces of solid flesh-like material all over it with spiked horns and large white eyes, came into view. It also had a gaping mouth, which let out a deafening roar. Finn looked up at the looming figure with awe, amazed by its towering height.

"Finn? I think we should run-"

A massive shockwave generated as the mace slammed into the ground, sending a wave of earth and dark purple energy. Jake grabbed Finn and turned his legs into springs, dodging the attack.

"Come on Jake, while its hand is still stuck!"

Finn and Jake rushed forward and started to stab and attack at the base of the creature, who didn't even notice them. When it did, it stared at them briefly before punting them into the nearest wall. They slowly fell to the ground, battered and beaten, but not defeated. Finn yelled loudly and charged with his sword and shield as Jake increased his size to match the creature's. The boy leapt into the air dug his sword into his knee while Jake sent his own mace hand at it. The creature, however, blocked it with it hand and then unexpectedly swung it mace too fast for Jake to respond. Finn looked back in shock only to be thrown off himself. As he lied on the ground next to his best friend's battered body, he looked up at the monster as it lowered it hand.

When it suddenly became dark, Finn had assumed he had died. But this was not the case, as his gaze fell upon a wall of vines, wrapped around each other to form a barrier. The behemoth pulled its deadly fist from the sudden shield and let out a droning groan as it turned its head. From the sky, a blur streaked to the ground, cleaving its right arm clean off. The creature howled in fury and pain, black nothingness pouring from the wound while the severed limb simply vanished completely. The blur solidified into the form of Johnny, clutching his staff that was now a spear of enclosed leaves. The captain turned and looked back at the injured boy.

"Are you all right?" he asked

Finn could only stutter, words forming but failing to take form due to his extreme disbelief of the current situation. This guy was defiantly with The Underground, he could tell by the tell-tale marking on his hand. This was the guy that he had come here to capture. The enemy, the bad guy. So why in the world was he helping him? The creature shrieked, enraged at the destruction of its arm, and balled its fist. Johnny gripped the spear and charged, spinning it rapidly as water started to form around it. He leaped into the air and collided the water spell with the monster's fist. A large wave of water was sent across the area, drenching the area in wet rain. The creature was taken aback by the force and even more as the boy planted his foot on its face before passing through it completely.

The huge creature stumbled backwards before falling to the ground, its body quickly disappearing into nothingness. The boy landed and twirled the excess droplets off his spear and slammed it to the ground. It open and blossomed into a bed of flowers, leaves, and vines with a piece of 2x2 in the middle. The barrier also disappeared, revealing a still stunned Finn and Jake. Johnny nodded and leaped into the air onto a giant leaf before flying out of sight.

"…What just happened?" Jake asked, running his head.

"I think that dude just saved us." Finn said "But why?"

"What ya mean why?"

"He was with those Underground guys! They're supposed to be evil! But…if he was evil, why'd he save us?" Finn gripped his head as he felt the onset of a headache.

"If he saved us than he can't be evil. You're wearing cute blue shorts and a hat; no evil dude would save a cute boy and his dog…dawg." Jake explained

"I guess you're right. Then…does that mean that what we've been learning is…wrong?" Finn asked

"I dunno. I don't know everything."

Finn placed a hand on his chin thinking thoughtfully when he felt the ground rumble once more. Fearing the threat of another creature, he picked up his sword and shield while Jake contorted his hands into giant fists. To their surprise and greater horror, came the rushing black tide. Before they could even scream, the ebony stream swallowed them whole.

_Darkness. Darkness and nothingness. But it was a different darkness; one that threatened to consume one's soul if they were not careful. Finn could feel his whole body being racked with pain as hundreds of invisible black hands lashed out at his body. He wanted to scream but his mouth refused to work, opening but not letting sound escape. He could multiple voices, each screaming different versions of the same phrase._

"_All we want is your SOUL!" the voices boomed in unison "Give it to ME!"_

_Finn, despite his pain, found the repeating phrase to rather…catchy. As if with the right beat, it would make a good tune…in a strange, demonic way. At that moment, he heard a voice ring out thought the countless other voices that overlapped for what seemed like infinity. It steady grew louder and clearer and the voices and lashes grew fainter and fainter. Soon, it was clear as bell and Finn was temporally blinded by a bright flash of blue light. _

"_Hello, Finn the Hero." The voice said "Would you be interested in an offer?"_

* * *

Double D ducked the incoming blast and rode higher and then banked to the right. No matter how many times he dodged, it seemed as if the strange tide was always waiting one step ahead. He kicked on the thrust and rocketed into a spinning barrel roll, earning the rib-shattering combined embrace of Rolf and Nazz. The Ed focused despite the pain and quickly dared to the left to avoid a raising pillar. He zigged and zagged as more appeared and Rolf, squeezing too tightly, caused him to jolt forward and slam on a panel.

TWAZZG!

A laser shot forward from the orb and seared away an inbound tentacle. The smart lad turned back to his foreign friend and praised his genius and pushed forward again, causing another beam of ionized energy flying forward. Feeling much more confident now, he sped up and continued to fire showers of lasers as he performed increasingly daring maneuvers. Then, true to the physics of chance, a raising spike nicked the tail of the hover board and sent them falling to the earth.

"Brace for impact!" Double D yelled

The trio of passengers screamed for dear life as they hit the ground, the board skidding across the rocky surface before losing its stability and sent them rolling across the arid landscape. Groaning, Double D slowly picked himself up and surveyed the area. Aside from the hover board returning to its staff form, he noticed with alarm that they were in a sloped area and with the quickly approaching tide, this poised a serious problem.

"We need to move to higher ground immediately!" Double D yelled

"Lead the way, Ed-boy!" Rolf shouted, not wanting to be caught in the torrent

The three quickly ran towards the cliff that over looked the slope, just as the blackness appeared at the boarders of the bowl. Rolf, with the help of his state of panic, climbed up first with the sped of a terrified squirrel followed shortly by Double D. Nazz was close behind when the gravel suddenly gave way and she fell back to the ground. The area was quickly flooding and the girl attempted to climb again but the soil refused to hold its form long enough for her to reach the top.

"Double D, help me!"

"Take my hand!" he hollered

Blond reached out as far as her arm would allow as she struggled desperately for the outstretched appendage. Seconds passed agonizingly slowly, each inch bring more and more stress as the flood approached. Just as her hand was in reach and she sighed joyously, she turned pale as multiple clawed hands and tentacles gripped her form and dragged her into the dark fluid.

"NAZZ!" Double D screamed incredulously

This couldn't be happening! She was just within reach! No…no, could still save her. All he needed to do was get closer and he could reach down and pull her out. But Rolf quickly restrained him, using his superior upper body strength to keep the boy from doing something crazy.

"We must go now, Ed-boy!" Rolf reasoned

All the while, Double D struggled fruitlessly trying to escape as he stared at the spot where his unattainable beauty had been devoured.

* * *

Flapjack knocked away another of the strange creatures before the path ahead was all clear. Knuckles shot down a straggler and holstered Captain's Law before looking at the river of unknown 'whatever' that was flowing next to him. Suddenly, something surfaced and it wasn't another one of the nasty creatures. It was boy and he was floating face down in the liquid.

"ey, Flap! Look at this." Knuckles said

"Huh?" Flapjack looked in the river and saw the boy "We've gotta save him!"

Mindful not to touch the muck, the two carefully pulled the boy out of the stream and onto dry land. They both looked the boy over. He was dressed in a blue vest with white buttons and gold trim with blue undershirt, shorts, gloves and a white hat that covered his entire head. Flapjack looked at him with child-like wonder.

"Come on, Flap! We gotta get outta here!" Knuckles warned

Nodding, he boy and his captain slowly but surely made their way back towards their ship. Blasting away any creatures that managed to impede their path, they reached the craft and the old, wooden captain launched them high into the air and out of harm's way.

* * *

"Back, Demons of the Nether World!" Ed shouted as he swung his sword as menacingly as possible.

Sarah and Jimmy both were cowered behind the large boy as he did his best to protect the two from the hoards of creatures that were currently attacking them. The creatures had appeared from nowhere and swiftly and without warning started to attack. Ed, who would normally be giddy with joy about fulfilling such a fantasy, was anything but. With both Sarah and her friend in trouble, he hadn't the time to get lost in his happy place. He was starting to growing tired of the constant hacking away at the growing hoard when the ground started to quake.

"Ed?" Sarah said nervously

The earth beneath them suddenly jarred upwards and ruptured, separating the two children from their protector. Ed screamed in terror and tried to reach his beloved baby sister but the creatures wouldn't have it as they relentlessly lashed at the boy. So, with a heavy moan, he turned and cleaved himself a path forward. Entire trees were fell from the boy's blind fury, boulders slashed or thrown away from the brute force of his strikes. Then, the ground split once more, blocking his path. He hanged left and continued to lash before another quake sent more earth rising upwards. Ed shouted and plowed right through it, frustrated and angry.

"Ed!"

The lad stopped and he saw Numbah 2 waving frantically for him from the open hatch. Fran and Johnny also appeared, flying atop a giant leaf, while Rolf was dragging a hysterical Double D. The five all piled into the craft and shut the hatch tightly, Clam and Ed both bracing the entrance with their backs.

"Wait! Eddy and Kevin are still out there!" Double D screamed

"Well they better get here soon, or else we're about to be up to our necks in whatever _that _is!" the pilot exclaimed, pointing at the approaching tide.

On cue, the duo came running, both panting as fast they could as they approached the craft. The tide would quickly be upon them and fear for their life only made them run faster. Numbah 2, who could wait no longer, started the engines and the craft slowly rose from the ground to avoid the muck. Eddy and Kevin both swore under their tired breath as the craft became increasingly out of reach and the tide now surrounded them. There's was no way the two of them could make it. Just then, Kevin grabbed the back of the short Ed's shirt and held him high in the air.

"Look after Nazz for me!" he shouted before hurling the boy towards the hatch which opened to allow him in.

Eddy looked back and saw Kevin give him a smirk before he engulfed by the tide.

"We're not outta the woods yet!" Hoagie told them from his seat.

Gripping the wheel, he jerked it in every which directions as pillars and spikes of the unknown muck shot upwards, attempting to take down the craft. The hot shot pilot avoided the assaults with expert ease, in spite of the size of the craft. When the tentacles threatened to snare them, the gifted pilot pushed on the thrusters and craft blasted forward, up and away from the darkness' reach and The Drop. When they were safely away, they entire cabin took a much needed sigh of relief.

"So where's Nazz and the twerps?" Eddy asked

The whole cabin hung their heads, their relief suddenly being replaced by the dark reality of what had just taken place.

High above the surface of The Drop, Sarah was reaching onto her friend for dear life as he dangled from the edge. It was all playing out like his dream, or rather nightmare, had, with him hanging just out of reach of his dear friend. The girl hollered over wind and various shouts of soldiers that were being swallowed by the muck, calling for his hand. The boy reached with all his might and Sarah did the same, dropping as low as she could without falling herself.

"I can't reach you, Sarah!" Jimmy cried, tears streaming from his eyes.

He suddenly lost his grip and fell, screaming before the warmth of his hero's hand wrapped around his own. A smile appeared on both of their faces, knowing that they would now be alright. Sarah gingerly began to pull him up when the strange tattoo on her arm glowed. In an instant, Jimmy eyes widened with horror while Sarah's bugged in disbelief. The space where Sarah was holding Jimmy disappeared and the lad fell, down to his doom in the tide.

"JIMMY!" Sarah screamed, reaching out for where her friend once was.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yep, their dead. Or are they?...Their dead though. But yeah, serious action in this chapter but more explanation and aftermath next chapter. TTFN!


	5. Declaration of War

Author's Notes: Fast update, huh? Anyway, enjoy and review, please!

* * *

Chapter 5: Declaration of War

Despair, anguish, gloom, hopelessness. None of these words could possibly sum up the state of woe that permeated the air in the ship. Everyone save Fran, Johnny, and Numbah 2 returned to their apposite room, wallowing in their individual despair. Double D had chosen to drown his sorrows with a good book; thought the masterfully crafted hardback did little to sedate his unbearable sorrow. Sleep wasn't an option, Nazz's untimely demise seemingly burned into his eyelids. And all the while, he couldn't help but feel as though it was his entire fault. If only he had tried harder, if only he'd let her go first, then maybe…

"_Attention everyone, we're coming up on the CN. ETA 5 minutes_." Hoagie said over the intercom

Double D daunted towards the door, head hung low from his depressing thoughts.

The Confederations of Nations was located far from the Underground and the even further from New Metropolis. The site was obscured by a Glamour spell, blending in with the surrounding landscape of trees, mountain peaks, and streams. It itself was nested by the highest peak which overlooked a large river. When the group approached, Numbah 2 inputted a series of codes and a voice recognition before the Glamour dropped shortly, allotting them inside.

Once inside, the Eds looked out the window and let out a gasp of awe. Lamp posts were wrapped with vines, fountains sprang from the ground, and flowers were spread across the green grass. Strange vehicles that appeared to be a hybrid of motorcycles, patched together crafts like their own, and people who flew with no visible aid were zooming through the busy airspace. The sky was azure with lazy clouds drifting high above and buildings were towers of steel and flora.

"This is…breathtaking." Double D stammered in sheer wonder

"That's nothin'. You guys are heading to that." Numbah 2 said, pointing to the object of their attention

Ahead of them was an enormous building, shaped in very anomalous curved dome with equally massive pillars supporting it from beneath. Multiple flags of sundry design were cemented into the lush front lawn, flapping elegantly in the breeze. All around the building rested floating spheres, spilling water, plant-life, fire and other elements of magical nature. The light from the sun's ray hit the structure at the precise angle, illuminating it and improving its majesty. Satisfied that he had taken their minds off the recent events, Hoagie steered the ship into the docking bay.

Johnny was on edge. Even with all his experience and skills, nothing could prepare him for this. As he walked down the crowded corridors, he could hear the whispers of those he passed, muttering things he already knew. _Keep it together, Johnny_ he told himself, trying to put his ever racing mind at ease. Behind him, it was abundantly clear that the boy was nervous. Double D himself was also worried, especially if what he'd read about the Confederate government was true.

"Geez, what's nature boy so worried about?" Eddy asked

"Eddy, we're about to come face-to-face with the leaders of the CN, the ruling body behind the Underground. Aren't you in the least bit concerned?" Double D asked

"No. Why should I? It's just a bunch of guys sitting in big chairs." The short boy shot back

"That each control the entire military force for their nation. Don't you see, Eddy? If this goes south, and I most certainly hope it doesn't, we'll be at the mercy of the court, to coin a phrase." Edd explained

"So?" Eddy replied flatly

"Meaning that if Johnny can't conceive them that the mission wasn't a total failure; then you'll be looking at a future that'll make eviction seem like summer vacation." Fran explained matter-of-factly

The short Ed shut his trap after that. The group continued down the long hallway until they came upon two large, wooden doors. The words 'Conference Hall' were written in bold black on gold, making it quite clear that once they stepped through the door, their fate would be the young captain's tanned hands. Taking a deep breath and pushing as much anxiety as possible from his mind, the boy tugged open the doors.

A clamor of arguments, debates, and discussions were abruptly ended when the group entered the room, which was painted a superb shade of white with black accents. All eyes were turned on them, some more narrowed than others but all were intimidating and sparked a certain sense of panic within the young group. Courage, who was standing behind the smart Ed, quickly scurried up into his cape, shivering feverishly. Suddenly, Johnny walked forward and presented himself to the large assembly.

"Johnny 2x2, Head of the Covert Special Ops," a man dressed in a military uniform with a large red moustache said "Mind explaining to us why we shouldn't throttle you for such a spectacular failure?"

"I'd think you at least let me give you my full report before you start issuing repercussions, General" Johnny said calmly

"Oh goody! I love reports!" said a short, aged man with a white beard, monocle, and black top hat.

Clearing his throat, the young man started to speak. "At exactly 13:00 hours, me and my squad arrived at the Drop with the intent on discovering the origin of the recent events that had taken place there. After splitting into mostly two man cells, we encountered the enemy and started to engage in combat. Shortly after, we were forced to disengage and retreat back to our ship after the appearance of strange, black tide that engulfed everything in its path. It would also be important to note that there were strange creatures that emerged from this tide and attacked us. Fortunately, we were able to successfully fight them off and safely return here."

Once he was finished, the room burst into a frenzy. Questions and assumptions were flung around recklessly while theories and hypothesis were barely made it past a whisper. The boy's report had sparked their interest and had seemingly taken the proverbial 'heat' off the group. Almost. The General wasn't as easily distracted and aimed a question at the lad.

"I've heard that on this mission you lost four new members of your squad. Is that true?" he asked, quirking a brow and leaning back in his seat.

Silence, not from just him, but the entire room as they awaited his answer.

"No. They weren't members of my squad or even candidates for the front lines. They were simply volunteering their services." Johnny replied

"So you're endangering the lives of citizens? Does your incompetence know no bounds?" the General asked, slamming a fit on his arm rest.

Johnny balled his fist as tight as he could and bit his lip. Fran did the same, both resisting the urge to call out the old fart. Luckily, Rolf was glad to do it for them.

"Rolf has heard enough of your accusations!" the foreigner bellowed "You have no idea of the toll this battle has wrought! Johnny-the-wood-boy has proven to be a fine leader, more so than any of you good-for-nothings!"

Johnny smiled, despite knowing that the tall pre-teen had almost definitely signed them to whatever harsh and undesirable place the Confederate had in mind. However, to his surprise he heard the Mayor, the leader of the CN, giggle gleefully.

"That was fun! Ooh, I vote to let them go. All in favor?" he asked

Nearly every hand in the room shot up.

"All opposed?"

The General stalwartly raised his hand.

"Then it's agreed. Motion carried!" he yelled and slammed his gavel on his chair.

The Eds and friends all let out a breath of fresh air, glad that they had been spared.

"Well, since your all not going to perish, you'd best investigate the source of this…_tide_, as you called it." A man with light blue skin and matching outfit said

"Of course. We'll get right on it." Johnny said before dismissing himself and his friends from the room.

"Well, I can honestly say that I'm glad that's over." Double D said, still clutching his chest as his heart beat still raced.

"Well, we got lucky. The Mayor liked us, so everyone just sort of voted with him." Johnny explained

"I don't get it. How'd someone that stupid get ta be head honcho for a place like this?" Eddy asked

"Because we operate on something kinda like a Military Dictatorship. Ya see, each nation has its own representative and military. Since we're on the decline, Democracy became less…_effective_. So, the system goes like this: whoever has the most military power has the most say in what goes on. And it's not always about quantity. The Mayor only has three people working under him but their stronger than any army from any other nation." Fran explain

"That's…rather disturbing once you think about it." Edd said somberly

"So what now?" Ed asked from out the blue

Everyone stared at him, at bit startled by the fact that he actually made sense for once. What were they to do? Double D personally didn't have a clue as to where to look or even how it got here. Fran nor Johnny were having much luck either, striking out idea after idea as they tried to think of a good approach to this particular situation. Even Ed and Clam joined in the thinking session, only they both were thinking about lunch rather than what to do about the strange tide.

"Johnny!"

Everyone turned their attention to the voice calling from down the hall. Running on all fours was a strange boy, somewhere in his teens, wearing purple combat vest with matching undershirt, a black belt, purple pants and yellow knee pads and boots. But what struck them as strange was the fact that he had purple fur on his arms and paws instead of hands. His hair was also strange, styled upwards with a purple splash in the middle with cat ear sticking from beneath. The teen stopped just short of them and panted, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, Odd. What's wrong?" Johnny asked

The boy named boy was still panting, obviously having ran a long distance to have such difficulty regaining his composure. When he did, he looked up at the boy with an urgent expression.

"You mean you haven't heard?"

* * *

"_How long do we have ta keep draggin' this kid around?" _

"_Shhh! Cap'n, he's waking up."_

Gargled voices rang in his ears and Finn slowly opened his eyes. Instead of the darkness that once surrounded him, tinted light and the faces of two strangers greeted him. Instinctively, he hurried to his feet, but failed to realize how small the craft was and bumped his head hard on the ceiling, falling back to his feet. Rubbing his injury, one of the strangers, a young boy, approached him with a bandage.

"Here, let me help you." He said in a gentle voice

Hesitant from both suspension and the on setting headache, he lowered his head and allowed the boy to apply the bandage. He then gingerly kissed it and patted down.

"Thanks." Finn said, running a hand over the bandage.

Sitting back down on the shag carpeted floor, the young adventurer turned to the boy, also sitting on the floor, and staring at him with wide, eager eyes. "How'd you end up that black stuff?" he asked, voice tinged with excitement.

"Well, me and my buddy Jake were-" it was at this time when he realized that his friend wasn't with him. "Jake? Jake! Where are you, man?"

"Hey, quiet back there! Some of us are trying to drive!" Knuckles shouted impatiently

"Jake! Where are you?"

"Dude, I'm right here. But where are you?" came a familiar voice

Finn swiveled his head from side to side, looking for any signs of his friends. Suddenly, he looked downwards from some odd reason and lo and behold: Jake's face was imprinted on a ring with the same yellow hue as his fur. Finn's face contorted into a look of incredulity, trying to make sense of why his best friend was now on his finger as a ring.

"Jake, why're you a ring?" Finn asked slowly

"I dunno, dude. Why're you wearing that vest?" Jake rebutted

"I dunno, dude." Finn parroted "Just turn back to normal."

Jake nodded and then started to strain as he attempted to force his body back to its original form. After several seconds of grunting and other pained sounds, he stopped and heaved in great gulps of air, exhausted.

"Finn…I don't think…I can…turn back." The dog panted

"What! Why?" Finn asked

"Hey, where'd you get that cool Summons from?" the boy asked excitedly

"Summons? Are you talking about Jake?"

"Yeah! So what kind of abilities does he have? Does he fly? Can he spit fire? Can he go really fast?" the boy asked in quick fire.

"Can he find Candied Island?" Knuckles asked from the pilot's seat

"Um…Jake's just Jake." Finn concluded

"Well, if he can't find Candied Island, what good is he?" Knuckles grumbled and returned back to the controls

"He's kinda grouchy." Finn pointed out to the boy

"Knuckles' just cranky because we haven't found Candied Island yet." The young lad explained "I'm Flapjack."

"I'm Finn." He replied following the boy's belated introduction "And this is Jake."

Suddenly, the catchy techno pop that filled the craft sputtered and died into static, quickly replaced the booming voice of an announcer.

"_Attention all citizens of New Metropolis! We interrupt your regularly scheduled to bring you this important news bulletin! We are here with Lord Cyclonis of the New Metropolis Council who has just informed us of the shocking events that have just recently taken place at The Drop!"_

The announcer's voice faded and with the hissing of the mic, it was replaced with the voice of a girl, who sounded barely older than Finn.

"_I regret to inform the citizens of New Metropolis that as of 14:00, our entire scouting unit in The Drop was wiped out due to the appearance of a strange black tide that has flooded the area. However, we have conclusive evidence that this was definitely no accident."_

A silent pause came from the radio.

"_An eye witness has reported seeing members of the Underground fleeing the area from the source of the tide shortly afterwards. Such a blatant and unwarranted attack on or forces can't be allowed to go unpunished. We have taken this attack as nothing less than an act of war and are declaring so on the entirety of the Underground, effective immediately!"_

With that, the radio faded out and back to the droning sounds of techno. Of course, this had left everyone in the craft speechless, especially Finn. This was his entire fault…He had unleashed the tide, he had caused all those deaths, and he had just caused the NM to go to war with CN. He could hear Jake's tsking and disappointment, which only made him feel even lower than he already was. Flapjack wasn't taking the news well either, face growing pale and fighting the urge to vomit.

"Well, that's not good." Knuckles said, turning down the volume

"Oh crud! I just made two whole countries go to war!" Finn yelled, gripping his cap.

"I sure you didn't mean to." Flap said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever, let's just hope this whole war doesn't get in the way of us finding Candied Island."

With that rather unsympathetic remark, the 'borrowed' craft whooshed off into the distance.

* * *

The either cabin was speechless, not knowing what to make of this tidbit of news. When Odd had told them at the CN, they didn't believe him and even now that they had heard it first hand, they still didn't believe it. Johnny and Fran both looked at each other tensely while Double D and Courage were shaking, nerves on end. Even Ed, in all his thick headedness, was able to grasp that this was definitely something dire. It was as if someone had taken them, slashed them, and then dumped an entire canister of salt on their open wound.

"…I can't believe this is happening." Double D said slowly

"Those idiots were just waitin' fer a reason ta start a war. An' now they got one." Fran said, folding her arms

"Hmm…" Johnny said deep in thought.

"What's up, Johnny?" Numbah 2 asked

"…Why would the City Council start a war? I mean, they've suffered casualties like this before, so why start a war now?" Johnny said thoughtfully.

"They must've great interest in the tide, then." Double D summed up

"And if they're interested in the tide, then that could only mean…" Johnny started

"…It's of magical nature!" Double D said, having stumbled onto an epiphany

"So what if it's magic?" Eddy asked impatiently

"It means that if we're to determine the origin and nature of this substance, we'll need to consult with someone who has a great knowledge of magic." Double D explained

Nodding, Johnny reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a cell phone, but was composed of household items. He flipped out the strange device and held it to his head. "Hey, Buttercup?"

"You called?" a voice said from the open hatch

Johnny smiled and placed the device back into his pocket. The girl had never ceased to amaze him with her abilities, taking note that her speed had definitely improved. The girl known as Buttercup was leaning against the doorframe with a green jacket with black trim with a green shirt with a white trimmed star in the middle, green shorts, socks, and black and white sneakers. Her hair was black and cut short, dropping just above her emerald orbs.

"Alright, guys. From here on out, we're splitting up. Eddy, Courage, and Buttercup, I need you guys to go to look into the strange activity going on in Townsville. Buttercup's a native so you'll be in good hands." Johnny explained

"What? You're pairing me with the dog?" Eddy shouted

"Hey, you should feel lucky. Courage's the only one here with any medical experience as well as healing spells. Plus Buttercup's the one of the strongest soldiers in the Underground, not to mention she'd one of my second-in-commands." Johnny said

"Ed, Clam, and Odd, I need you to go to D'Raziw and talk to Jeanavene. She's the single most powerful mage that I know of. Odd's coming along to make sure that you two…stay on target." Johnny said, to which Ed and Clam saluted

"Double D and Fran, you're with me. We're going back to the drop to see if we can't find anything out of the ordinary within all the mess." The young captain's order received a nod and a heartfelt sigh from his red haired subordinate.

"Numbah 2, your orders are to fly Ed and his unit safety to the academy. Everyone else, move out!"

"Hold on tight." The black haired girl teased to her teammates before rocketing out of the craft.

Johnny slammed his staff down and summoned a flower bud, which quickly blossomed into a bird with brown feathers and a circlet around its head with a blue gem. The three boarded and the summons also escaped the craft at blinding speeds. Not wanting to be shown up, Numbah 2 flipped up a hidden switch and slammed his foot on the throttle, shooting them high into the sky and towards their destination.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yep, their splitting up. And if there's trouble in Townsville, that can only mean one thing...TTFN!


	6. A Diplomatic Intermission

**Author's Notes: **Who's ready to read one of the most epic fights of the entire CU story? Well, here's an intermission instead.

* * *

Chapter 6: A Diplomatic Intermission

The halls of the CN were abuzz with activity. Their arch-enemies, who had superior technological and militarily might as well as a mass empire with boarders far beyond anywhere the tattered organization could establish, had just declared war; how else were they to respond? Officials were rushing from point A to point B with hysterical pace, papers and forms flying from their shaking hands. And in this frenzied confusion was a young man, sitting in his new Representative quarters. He tugged at the bow that was wrapped snuggly around their throat. The man who the boy simply called 'The Pin-headed Ninny' insisted that he wear the irritating accessory, telling him that it 'tied his whole outfit together'.

The boy glanced down at his new attire, from his yellow shirt and red sash to his navy slacks to his neat, black and gold buckled shoes and of course the infuriating formal accessory . He had made it a mental note to beat some sense into the ninny next time he saw them. He looked up at the towering piles if wood pulp and laid his head on his arms, sighing.

_The group had just heard the news of the declaration of war and were heading back towards the ship post haste. Just as they had reached the door, a hand placed itself on Double D's shoulder. He and the group turned and saw the same short man who had saved them from the fate of the council. _

"_Mister Eddward, I'm going to need you to come with me." he said with the smile on his face_

"_Excuse my rudeness, but might I ask why?" Edd asked_

"_Well, you're the Representative of Peach Creek, right? Then you're obligated to stay here." He said_

"_But I've been the Representative for years and never once have I been asked to come here." _

"_Well, we've just been sent to war and you're in charge of the head of our Special Ops, plus two new soldiers. It's only natural that we'd need you here." He explained_

"_Wait a minute! Sock head can't stay here!" Eddy shouted_

"_But I have too, Eddy. Who else will be the Representative?" Double D asked_

_Just then, another hand laid itself on the boy's shoulder. This time, it belonged to the blue haired foreigner. _

"_Rolf will take the Ed boy's place." The boy said to the man_

"_Rolf-"_

"_Your place is on the battlefield, Ed boy. Rolf would like this also, but he will stay here and be desk jockey." Rolf sighed and smiled_

_Nodding his head and muttering giddily, the man grabbed Rolf and herded him down the hall._

A light tapping on the door alerted him to the presence of a teen carrying a large load of papers. The teen grunted as he carefully made his way towards the desk, dropping the entire load on the wooden frame. Rolf simply groaned and grabbed his quill pen, beginning to tackle the incredibly large stack of paperwork. After three hours of this tedious activity, which still didn't leave a sizable dent in the colossal pile, he decided to step outside for some much needed fresh air.

The halls of the CN were much less crowded now, allowing him freedom of moment and time to sulk. Thoughts of what the Ed boys and their new cohorts might be up to dominated his weary mind. Adventure, battles, glory; all these things were certainly out of Rolf's grasp as long as he was stuck at the CN. _What Rolf would give for a diversion_, he thought and no sooner than the statement took form, he staggered backwards and onto his posterior. He looked up to see who he'd be giving a piece of his mind to when he his eyes widened in shock. Before him was a young girl with blond hair tucked under a samurai helmet, an orange tiger striped pull over, grey pants, and sandals.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going." The girl said and offered Rolf a hand up

Of course, he refused the offer and stood on his own, his pride as a man refusing to allow him to take it. Dusting himself off, he turned towards the girl, who had her hand out towards him, this time extended in invitation.

"I'm Rachel, Rachel McKenzie." She said and smiled warmly

"I am Rolf. Just Rolf." He said in a slightly less cheerful tone

"So, you new around here? Most people know to pay attention to where they're going, well…except me just now." she said the last part sheepishly and ribbed her arm

"Rolf is the new Representative of Peach Creek. And who might you be?" he asked, strangely fascinated with the girl

"I'm the Soopreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, which was for a time the largest military force in the CN." She replied

"Is that so?" Rolf's interest was officially piqued "If Rolf understands this system of yours, than you must have been quite the big shot around here big shot."

"Yes, she _was_." A voice said

The two turned and Rolf face instantly transformed into one of anger. It was the same man as before, the one who had so impudently trotted upon Johnny's leadership capabilities and suggested their banishment. His hand tightened into fists, ready to start a fight when a hand suddenly placed itself on his chest, separating him from the man.

"General. Don't you have some, I dunno, baker's dozen of doughnuts to conquer or something?" she asked matter-of-factly

"Hmm, I'll have you know I haven't touched a doughnut in three weeks." He replied confidently

"So what's that in your pockets?" she asked pointing to the two round glazed confections still from his pockets

"What? These are fat-free! Moving on, I just wanted to say how it's a shame how such a once noble and powerful figure like yourself had fallen to such low standing." He was eager to get off the subject of his doughnuts

Rolf growled and stepped forward but again, the hand stopped him.

"That big talk coming from a guy with only a _single _operative under his command." She rebutted with a grin

The man glared at her before turning his back to her and storming off. Once he was gone, she released her grip on the tall boy, you stared at her peculiarly.

"Rolf, I know that guy can be a jerk, but he's still a high-ranking officer. His one operative is a very powerful mage with healing abilities, which is fairly rare around here." She explained

"Rolf is sorry. Rolf simply wishes for some distraction from all this hoopla." He said

Rachel looked at him and placed a hand on her chin, smiling as she thought. She grabbed his hand firmly and led him down a corridor.

"Follow me." She said

* * *

"…_declaring so on the entirety of the Underground, effectively immediately!" _ As the last of her speech was finished, the red light in the sound booth was silenced and she carefully brushed away the microphone. The young teen who had just given the declaration for war was Master Cyclonis. She was a morbid girl, with raven hair and a robe made of deep violets with dark faded patched cloths for a shirt and black tights covered her legs. Brushing her hair aside, her stepped down from the stool and made her way towards the door and into the hallway.

All conversing turned into hushed whispers as she walked by, cowering slightly as she passed. It was to be excepted from a Crystal Mage and leader of nearly the entire NM Military Force. The girl didn't mind it all; she'd always liked being feared. Once she reached her office, she turned the knob and opened the door, a blast of considerably cooler air washing over her.

"Nice speech. Sounded like you'd be rehearsing it for a while." A voice said

The teen turned, hand hovering over a crimson stone in her pocket, only to scoff in annoyance. Sitting on her desk was a short man with wild blue hair and a clean shave, wearing a pink suit, blue pants, and black shoes. He was playing with a yo-yo and patted the table, offering the girl a seat. Groaning in disgust, she reluctantly obeyed and sat in her tall, crimson chair, which was made of steel.

"Why are you in my office, Wakko?" she asked bitterly

"I got you a little something." He said and reached into his pockets

He then produced a square box, wrapped with a pretty pink bow and slid it to Cyclonis. She carefully looked the box over before opening it. Inside was a small stuffed bear dressed in a red fedora and holding a heart in its hand. She cautiously squeezed it, receiving an 'I love you thiiisss much!' as it stretched out its arms. She looked at Wakko and then the bear before holding it up and lighting it on fire.

"Hey, I worked for two weeks on that! I sewed love into every stitch." he said as he watched his creation burn

"And also put in a video surveillance and self destruct sequence." She replied

"And a multi-purpose laser, plus I made it fire retardant." He said cheerfully

The mage looked down and saw that despite being on fire, the bear still managed to keep its shape and most of it fur. Ignoring it, she turned her attention back to the short man.

"So why are you really her?" she asked

"I came to ask about how your end was going but, it looks like it's going smoothly." The man said

"Yes, it was quite easy: send in a large group of soldiers to The Drop on a supposed Crystal Expedition, which would alert the Underground who would send in their own soldiers to investigate. Add one curious little boy and his dog, who would unleash the Life Essence, which would sweep them all up in a massive tide. The entire expedition is lost, but the enemies escape, leaving me with the perfect reason to start a war." She explained

"Aren't you a little concerned that the kid and his dog got away? He's not the kind to just keep out of something like this." Wakko pointed out

"I plan on burning that bridge when I cross it. Now then, I just received word that the targets have split into three groups, one of which is heading to The Drop. I assume Nautilus has finished placing the seal?"

"Don't worry; the kid's a genius with this sorta thing. What about our ally in Townsville?"

"He's ready and waiting. I'm sure he'll give them a very warm welcome when they arrive. Our agent in D'Razid has informed me that the others are heading his way. They shouldn't be a problem there."

Cyclonis turned in her chair and stared out the window, drumming her fingertips on one another. As she did, the door burst open, the man who had evicted the Eds standing at the ready.

"You called Master Cyclonis?" he asked in a dignified tone

"Dark Ace. I need you to go to The Drop and keep a certain captain occupied." She said sinisterly

* * *

Rolf ducked a punch and swung with the long staff he had been provided with, which missed and left him open to a counter attack. He blocked using his forearm and swept at the girl's legs, missing once again and receiving a fist to his face. The tall boy stumbled, but refused to go down, a smile plastered on his face. When Rachel had suggested a way to relax, he'd expected it to be show TV show or video game, not a sparring match. But boy was he glad she did. He rushed forward with a war cry and swung, knocking the girl to the side. She landed into a handstand and, using the pole as an anchor, kicked him square in the chest.

"You're quite good." He said between breaths

"You're not half bad yourself." The Soopreme leader replied

The two rushed at each other and locked horns, both pushing with as much force as they could muster. Then, Rolf kicked low and caught her off guard enough to whack the staff from her hand. He raised his staff high to strike when she backhanded the weapon from his grip, sending it clattering across the mat. Now the two were fighting with bare hands, tossing blows left and fight as they both continued to try to land hits. After a near ten minutes of this, Rolf grabbed her torso and attempted to slam her on the mat. Rachel, however, grabbed his shoulders and flipped him over, sending them rolling.

When they stopped, Rolf was on top of Rachel, both panting as they tried to catch their breath. Sweat dripped off the boy's face and onto her face, streaming into her own. Their eyes locked, Rolf barely managed to stave off the impulse that grew stronger with each heartbeat. Slowly, he leaned towards her, feeling the heat waft off her. Suddenly, he stopped, slammed his hands down and marched off. Rachel slowly got back up, her shirt pulled over her shoulder and drenched in sweat.

Rolf stood behind the door, gripping his chest and trying to come up with a reason behind his unusual feelings.

"Must be Mountain Sprites, toying with Rolf." He said to himself

But this only made him grip his chest tighter and hold his head low, for he knew that this wasn't the work of mountain sprites. He was smitten. Smitten by Rachel, who he'd just left alone on the floor in the training room.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **You gotta love the KND girls. The Peach Creek guys just can't seem to stay away. The reason behind this very, very, _very _unusual pairing is because I wanted Rolf to have a love interest. So I thought: what would Rolf look for in a girl and who would fit best into them? Well, I think Rolf would look for a girl that could fight, who could keep him in check, and who could be his friend. Rachel seemed to fit all three categories and plus, I'd already wanted her and Rolf to be friends so…yeah.

Cyclonis and Wakko are going to be one of the two main villains in the story. Cyclonis is one because one, she'd the leader of the Cyclonians and two; she's one of the more evil villains in Cartoon Network, establishing this by sending her own troops in to die. Wakko's a main villain because he hates kids and seeing as the heroes in this story are kids, it seemed to make sense. Well, time to begin work on chapter seven and the first encounter of one the most evil villains in the entirety of animation.


	7. Off to see pt 1

Chapter 7: Off to see a Wizard…and a Villain…and a War zone pt. 1

Ed repeatedly banged the red, rubber ball against the wooden back of the paddle board. After three hours worth of travel, he'd completely lost track of how many times he'd performed the action and settled on laughing to himself as he rattled his head to the rhythm of the toy. Odd had reserved his attention to the hand held video game which blared a tune reminiscent of that of B-rated movie. Clam was effortlessly working his way through a crossword puzzle written in Chinese calligraphy and Numbuh Two was carefully monitoring the various instruments on the dash board. Steadily, the group was making their way towards D'Raziw Academy, the home to Jeanavene Vale, the premier researcher on whatever substance comprised the strange tide they'd encountered.

"Hey, Two, are we there yet?" Ed asked as he took his gaze off his amusement

"No, Ed. We're still a while away from the academy. Why Don't you go read a comic or something and I'll tell you when we get there?" " Two replied

"Okay." Ed said and plopped back into his rhythmic rattling with the paddle ball. Moments later, he droned the question "Are we there yet?"

"No, Ed. We're still a ways off." Numbuh Two said, aggravation growing in his voice.

"Oh…How long's a ways?"

"A while."

"How long's a while?"

"A _bit_."

"How long's a bit?"

"_A minute."_

"How long's a minute-"

"We'll get there when we get there!" he exclaimed and gritted his teeth, seething with rage.

"Okay!…When will we get there?"

Hoagie simply gave up on the increasingly annoying subject and decided upon hitting his head repeatedly on the steering wheel as the best and most prompt way to air up his frustrations. Apparently Ed didn't receive the message and continued to berate the boy genius with a long series of annoying questions. Clam looked up from his puzzle and smiled at the scene, memories of him and his friends' exploits flashing through his mind. He wouldn't have time to enjoy them, however, as the ship suddenly violently rocked forward.

Hoagie rubbed his head, which had the unfortunate opportunity to get better acquainted with the steering wheel, quickly regaining his control of his ship. He jerked the ship to the side to avoid another emanate strike and glanced out the side view mirror; seven grey and crimson plane-bike hybrids were tailing them with red, flaring weapons. Hoagie muttered under his breath and wrapped his fingers around the throttle.

"Cyclonians. _Great._" Hoagie deadpanned

"Ooh! They have cyclone powers?" Ed inquired excitedly

"No, but they _do _have Firebolt crystals!"

The young aeronautics prodigy quickly pressed the throttle forward, rocketing the ship forward as the Cyclonian troops followed suite. Ed was thrown from his feet and sent tumbling backwards into the wooden wall as Odd clung to the couch, only for the piece of furniture to topple over on top of him. Numbuh Two was largely unaffected, having trained his body to withstand the various Machs that his job required, and took the time to look back and see the seven crafts still hot on their trails. Odd, fighting off gravity, G-forces, and the couch, made his way towards the pilot, only to settle upon reaching half-way there when he realized that the sheer force was causing his stomach to do back flips.

"What kind of weapons does this thing have?" he shouted, although it wasn't necessary

"What weapons? This thing was only designed to get us from point A to point B!" the genius hollered back

"Then how are we suppose ta fight these guys?" Odd asked

"Improvise and fast! This crate isn't as mobile as their Skimmers!"

Odd briefly racked his brain for a solution when the door suddenly flew open, threatening to completely rip from its hinges. A preverbal light bulb burst to life in the half-cat's head, causing him to act on the new found idea. Ed, still disorientated and slouched against the wall, suddenly shot up when he heard his name being called over the now roaring wind.

"Hey Ed!" the teen said as he stood at the door opening "Up for a little aerial climbing?"

Smiling widely and shaking his head affirming, he leaped to his feet and trotted towards the door. Odd had already climbed onto the side and over the railing, crouching low and to the ground as to avoid being blown off the platform. Ed climbed aboard as well, clinging to the sag carpeting for dear life. With a barely audibly whisper, Odd cased a spell.

"Magnet."

The ground beneath Odd's and Ed's feet immediately shone a light shade of azure, as well as sinking slightly into the carpeted floor. It was when Ed felt himself sink that he cautioned a step upward, feeling his whole body being ruffled by the breeze but his feet stayed planted on the ground as if magnetized. While Ed became instantly fascinated by this new occurrence, Odd had his sights trained on the enemy. Taking carefully aim, he gripped the back of his hand and fired off two small arrow heads from the back off his hand. The projectiles whizzed through the air and swiftly made their way for two enemy aircrafts, missing as they veered out of harm's way. Cursing under his voice, he quickly fired off more arrows, only to meet the same effect. By now, Ed had finally noticed that they were now fighting and reached over his shoulder to retrieve his Riter, gripping the hilt of the bladed weapon. He briefly looked around before his sights settled on a craft flying directly overhead, a crimson dagger aimed at his thick head. Using both hands, he swung the blade in an arch, sending a thin blade of yellow and green at the soldier, who banked to the right only to be nicked by the passing energy wave.

"I can't hit 'im. They're moving too fast!" Odd said as he hopelessly took aim at the sky

The swarming Cyclonians took aim of their own weapons and began pelting the ship with crimson bursts of energy. Hoagie veered and banked as best he could to avoid the incoming hits while Ed slashed at the bursts of energy with the new attack he had just learned while Odd folded his arms over his chest and shouted.

"Shield!"

An incandescent wall of energy instantly materialized in front Odd's crossed arms, red energy fire ricocheting or being absorbed by the thin layer of energy. He glanced to his left and saw that Ed wasn't faring well as his strikes became increasingly sloppy and short, the energy bolts beginning to graze his person. The teen quickly unfolded his arms and splayed palms, causing the shield to spread and widen into a large field of energy that encompassed both of the young warriors. Odd slightly huffed from the effort of expanding his spell, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Energy fire continued to pelt the shield, causing Odd visible strain as he forced more energy into keeping the dome up.

"Ed," Odd said getting the boy's attention "Up for a little horizontal skydiving?"

Ed smiled and nodded his head, not entirely sure what the boy meant, but didn't have to wait long to receive his answer. The teen closed his eyes briefly and focused.

"Detach."

With the mutter of that word, the two were suddenly unanchored from the platform and sent flying in a straight line courtesy of inertia. Odd stuck out one of his paws and clawed onto the wing of a passing enemy craft, peeling against the thin metal. In an amazing feat of agility and strength, he anchored his left paw and used it to pivot his body into a roundhouse kick to the man's head, knocking him off his craft and into the vast void below.

Ed wasn't as agile as his friend but, using his immense strength he grabbed the right wing of the hybrid craft and swung it to his left, sending it crashing into one of opposing crafts. Ed, thanks his lack of logical thinking and absentmindedness, had sent himself hurling outwards in spiral, freefalling through the air. Odd caught sight of this and quickly muttered the spell Magnet. The two's bodies glowed once more with the light blue glow, sending them hurling back towards the ship. When they returned, Odd wasted no time in recasting the Shield spell, straining as the enemy resumed their attack in full force.

Then, one of the ships wings were completely obliterated, causing them to fall lop-sided towards the ground. The same fate awaited two more of the craft, leaving one lone soldier, who ejected just in time to escape becoming a live roast as the craft was blown into countless pieces. The two soldiers on the roof looked to the side to see Clam, hanging out the window and aiming his hand cannon in the direction of where their enemies once were. The rhino gave his friends a smile and a thumbs up. Odd returned the smile and quickly deactivated the shield, panting from exhaustion. Using spells were taxing on him without the aid of Riter but he still held his own better than most who used spells without the aid of the magical weapon.

When the two re-entered the ship, Numbuh Two was sighing in relief as he check over the monitors.

"Anything broken?" Odd asked

"No, nothing has any major damage, but we better hightail it to the Academy before more of those guys show up." the pilot warned

Odd nodded and collapsed on the couch, now dozing off. Clam resumed his puzzle while Ed returned to pestering Hoagie.

"Are we there yet?"

* * *

Eddy groaned slightly as Buttercup sat him and Courage down onto the concrete road. He hadn't been too keen on getting paired with a girl and dog, but he knew full well that he definitely shouldn't mention anything out loud or he'd be on the receiving end of the black haired beauty next to him.

"Ah, Townsville. I love the smell of _danger _in the morning." the girl said eagerly

The tone of her voice and her much un-needed emphasis on the word 'danger' easily frightened the dog next to her, causing him to shake like a leaf. He'd heard story on how weird and dangerous this town was, of the various monsters that periodically appeared on a near daily basis. The dog instantly took refuge under the shirt of the short boy next him, who quickly grew annoyed of the dog's cowardly antics.

"Alright, let's get going. If I this guy is who I think he is, then he'll be somewhere downtown." Buttercup said in an authoritive voice.

And so, the trio of young soldiers were off. As they made their way through the city, Eddy noticed that for a hustle and bustle city, it was surprisingly quiet. The look of suspicion on her face confirmed that this definitely wasn't normal, squeezing her hands in and out of fists at regular intervals. The group stopped when the super-powered girl held up her hand to signal them to stop. A noise had caught her attention and she decided to check it out.

"Stay here." she ordered and took to the skies

"_Stay here. _Who does think she is?" Eddy grumbled from under his breath

It was then that Eddy had a brilliant(at least to him) idea. Grabbing Courage, he decided that the two of them would investigate the surrounding sights in case this whoever or whatever decided to rear their ugly heads.

"And get in a scam or two." the boy said under his breath

Then, Courage stopped dead in his tracks, earning a look of confusion and annoyance from Eddy. Getting a decent grip on the canine, he attempted to jerk the dog forward but he remained firmly in place. Eddy assumed that he was simply trying to obey the girls orders and stay put, only further increasing his aggravation. What Eddy didn't notice was that Courage had stop on account of the black puddle that had formed behind the short boy. Slowly, a thick glob of the same substance as the tide from before rose into the air.

"Come on you stupid dog. Move!"

A avian-like head took shape as the goop gurgled and popped as a row of spike began to sprout down the back. Long slender stream of muck solidified into arms as large, curved gleaming sickles came to be in place of its hands. The strange creature then splayed its arms out wide and reared back, preparing to strike. Acting on experience, he grabbed Eddy's arms and pulled him away just as the creature swung, saving him from decapitation. The pair tumbled backwards and Eddy was about to shout when two more of the strange creatures formed, all shrieking in a manner that seemed to be a cross between a bird and nails on a chalkboard.

"Where'd these things come from?" Eddy asked and brandished his Riter

The creatures lunged forward and Eddy raised one of his disk, blocking the creature sent him back with all his might. The creature flew backwards and sank back into its puddle, disappearing. Eddy smirked and laughed nervously, proud of his accomplishment…or he would have been if it weren't for the fact that the monster suddenly reappeared behind him. Instincts fueling him more than actual thought, he rolled out of the way and narrowly dodged another lethal swipe from the unknown creature.

He carefully took aim before tossing the disk at the his attacker, watching it sink into the ground allowing the Riter to whiz overhead. The puddle quickly snaked forward and the creature emerged from the hole in the ground already swinging at Eddy, who was oddly smiling. He pulled his hand backwards and watched as the disk boomeranged back in his direction and hit the sickle-wielding avian square on its head. The creature let out a guttural scream before falling over, splashing into a dark stain on the concrete.

"Ha! Alright, who's next?" Eddy said cockily

One of the creature was glad to oblige him on his offer and flew forward, weapons spread and ready to use. The sudden appearance of a towering wall with a canine's face and glowing pink-ish blue energy surrounding it. The creature, angry at the shield's interference, lashed out at it, its blades barely chipping away at the structure. So preoccupied was it that it didn't notice the mace heading straight for it and as a result was caught off guard as it was hurled across the pavement as it disintegrated.

Eddy turned and saw that standing in front the wall was Courage, retracting his Riter and staring down the last remaining creature. The creature wearily looked at the dog , having witnessed his power, and decided to snake back into its puddle. Courage stuck out his right paw and one of the charms on his bracelet suddenly glowed. Said charm proceeded to rocket off the chain and into the ground. At first it seemed as though the charm had done nothing but simply disappeared until the ground started to crack and fracture as something made its way towards the puddle.

When it reached it, the puddle suddenly stopped. The creature burst from its sanctuary, its long and deadly appendages clawing at the concrete and the hollow glow that was its eyes begging for help. The avian then broke out into spasm as it was shaken from side to side by whatever it was underground, slammed into the concrete and disappeared into ground, this time unwillingly.

"Whoa." Eddy managed to say "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Courage smiled and flicked his wrist, allowing the wall to fall to the ground. Offering a paw, Eddy scoffed and lifted himself up.

"I could've done that." Eddy said dismissingly

Courage simply sighed and followed Eddy as they continued to walk through the town. The didn't have to walk far; shouting and the battle cry of a familiar raven haired brawler catching their attention. Hurriedly making their way towards the source, they were greeted to the sight of Buttercup doing battle with the strange creatures from before along with others, such as those that appeared to be flying orbs with bat-like wings and giant, white eyes with no visible mouth with two tails trailing beneath them.

Eddy quickly tossed his Riter, the twin disk rotating and hitting two of the flying creature dead on and sending them crashing into the side of a building. The boy then recalled them with blue tether and sent them barreling into two of the creatures from before that were attacking Buttercup. Eddy caught the two disks and turned to see Courage simply watching.

"Why aren't you helping?" Eddy hollered

His answer came in the form of a bright flash of green light which temporarily blinded him. He then turned back and saw Buttercup standing victoriously where the creatures had once stood.

"Because I don't need it." she said proudly

Eddy simply looked at her stunned before shaking himself out of his spell and recollecting himself. When Johnny said she was strong, he never imagined that she was this strong. The girl dusted herself off and walked towards the two when a strange rumbling caused everyone to stop and look at the ground. From the earth sprouted a towering stream of dark water. The water quickly swept the three up in its current and they found themselves at the mercy of the powerful force of nature.

The water snaked down several streets and avenues before it finally crashed into a large office building and the short boy known as Eddy emerged fro its depths. He grasped a hand around his throat, choking and gasping for air as water made it way from his lung to his mouth. As he slowly tried to get to his feet, a stomping noise made him turn his head.

In front of him was a creature that appeared to be some kind of giant krill-like creature with a white shell and legs protruding from its back. A pincher snapped at him menacingly while another held a wooden staff with a purple jewel stationed on the top of it. The creature hissed at the boy and swung its staff, Eddy dodging just in time. He rolled to his side and scrambled to his feet, tossing a disk at him. The creature raised it staff and the jewel glowed, causing the disk to be knocked back by some unseen force.

"What the!" Eddy shouted incredulous as he caught the disk

The creature hissed and swung its staff, sending waves of water crashing into the Ed boy. The boy was sent skidding across the concrete, grunting as his body repeatedly hit the unforgiving surface. The krill creature smirk or gave an expression similar to that one might consider smug and slowly made his way over to the fallen boy. Eddy groaned as he rose to his feet, only to see his attacker standing over him. The creature raised its staff to strike as Eddy screamed and shielded his face.

A moment later, Eddy heard the hiss of something in incredible agony and when he discovered that it wasn't him, he opened his eyes to see a familiar sight in front of him. White fur, hooves, horns, a grey goatee, and bell attached to their neck.

"Baah!"

"Victor?" Eddy asked, confused until he noticed that the charm on his chain was missing "You're my summons? Geez, talk about a let down."

The goat turned back towards the boy and bayed, chewing on who knows what. Eddy looked at the goat and gave a bemused look, wondering what he might be able to use the goat for. However, as the krill creature started to stagger back to its feet, Eddy hopped onto the goat's back, grabbed his ears and pulled. The summons bayed and hollered uproariously before speeding down the streets at neck break speeds. A few more of the strange creatures appeared, but they were easily dealt with by the rampaging goat's horns.

Eddy turned a corner when suddenly Victor glowed brightly, disappearing from sight in burst of light. Eddy was sent skimming across the ground and when he stopped was greeted to a most distressing sight. Courage was pulling himself out of a crater while Buttercup hung in the grasp of the very person they'd come to deal with. The figure smiled and spoke in the most bone-chilling voice he'd ever heard.

"_**Hello boy. You must be Eddy.**_"

* * *

The brown bird gently lighted itself onto the parched, poisoned ground. Tilting its head down to allow its trio of passengers to disembark, the bird briefly radiated a brilliant glow before shooting back into the staff in Johnny's hand.

"Oh my." were all the words Double D could muster

And they were quite adequate. The whole landscape before them had changed drastically from their visit none few hours ago. The large, perpetual tide was gone, although ribbons of the substance remained etched into the ground. River beds had been filled and elevated, new mountain ranges towered over the land, and all plant life was twisted into all manner of terrifying shapes. The boy was appropriately scared out his mind at the scene, gripping his Riter tightly as his breath shuttered meagerly.

"Looks like whatever this stuff is works fast." Fran commented to her superior

"Yeah. I've got a bad feeling from this place." Johnny replied

Fran took one look at the boy and saw that his hands were visibly shaking. Johnny had only been the captain for a few months but he'd seen his share of horrors. Things that someone his age shouldn't even know about. Yet even in the face of those adversities, he'd managed to keep his cool. This marked the second time the red-head had ever seen him this shakened, this disturbed. Maybe it was the fact that he was a geomancer or maybe it was his own natural intuition, but something that caused him such a level of distraught couldn't have been good in any way.

"Should we head out, sir?" Fran asked as she placed his hand on his shoulder

The stiffened slightly at her touch and then drooped his shoulder into a relaxed position. He always felt better whenever Fran comforted, despite her feeble attempts to mask it. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned and smiled at the girl, reply to her question with a "Yeah, we should."

Fran's face immediately flushed bright rouge, causing her to smile nervously back at her captain and suppress the primal urge to squeal like a boy-crazed psychopath. She always loved how he'd give her that smile of his, how the simple gesture always seemed to make her weak in the knees. Roughly jerking her head, she did away with mushy and dreamy thoughts for now as she followed the boy down the hill.

The trio found that this new Drop was even more unforgiving than its predecessor. Steep mountain cliffs were lined with bared-like plants and offer no footholds while dark, saturated plain turned pliable and soft with each foot step. While the two skilled warriors were able to trudge through the terrain with roughly little hindrance, Edd found that, given his minimal athletic abilities, the terrain was far less hospitable. As he struggled to gain the least bit of head way through the swamp-like round, one of the pulsating streams caught his attention.

"What on Earth?" Double D thought

Daring a closer look, he knelt down on one knee, careful to balance his weight so to not accidentally slip into the marsh field. The strange stream gurgled and slowly expanded in size, the bubble it formed swelling steadily. Double D watched in sheer wonder as the mass kept growing until it reached roughly the size of his head. The mass then floated up to eye level with the enraptured Ed, hovering there for a brief few seconds. Two, thin trails of ebony substance spouted from its sides, encompassing it before another trail sprouted, producing tiny, marble sized blue orbs. A pair of white, pupil-less eyes formed in the front of the creature, completing its materialization.

"Amazing! Simply Fascinating! Perhaps this substance has mutagenic properties or maybe it might have transmogrifying abilities, allowing it to produce the strange rather petrifying alterations to the landscape, not to mention this little guy." Edd rambled

He smiled warmly at the creature floating effortlessly in front of him. They reminded him of the structure of an atom, especially with those sphere orbiting it. As if it had read the boys thought, the creature spun the orbs around its body, causing them to glow before sending one straight at the boy. Shot at point-blank, there was nothing he could do but yelp as he was sent flying a good ten feet across the ground. The boy slowly rose to his feet, still trying to regain the wind the attack had promptly knocked out of him.

"I'm alright." he said, partly in disbelief that he was actually still alive "It seems those Stitch Sisters were right to brag about their enchanted garments, although I do wish they'd have given me something that blocks the pain as well."

The sight of the creature drawing closer made him scourer his vision for signs of his cohorts. He found them but alas, they too were engaging battles of their own. With help currently preoccupied, he had no choice but to face this task on his own. Taking what he considered was a fighting stance appropriate for using a staff, he readied himself as forced his limbs to stop quaking. But it was only natural. Being a pacifist, he'd normally never condone violence of any kind, but in his current situation, such principals simply weren't practical. So with little other options available, he decided to try to defeat, or at the very deter the creature.

Noticing the boys offensive switch in stance, the nucleus-like creature willed one of the orbs on its body to shot forward, whizzing by at bullet speeds. Edd quickly abandoned his ill-footed stance in favor of a clumsy roll to his side, body nearly sinking into the ground as it ceased moving. The boy tried to raise to his feet but was stopped as another glowing sphere of pain careened at him in a wide arc, causing him to once again tumble across the earth in order to avoid the attack. Two more orbs made their way at him; soon spheres were hurled at him in near constant repetition and forcing him to stay lowered to the ground in order to avoid injury.

"This is becoming quite tiresome, not to mention unsanitary." the smart Ed commented as he wiped the accumulated dirt off his person

Seeing a brief break in the creature's fire, he quickly rose to his feet and searched over his staff for any indication towards its function outside of the hovering board that he had used earlier. The sight of the small, ebony being charging up another attack made the boy accelerate his efforts as he attempted to find anything that might prove promising. Nothing. Nothing but the pieces of metal that were attached in a way that seemed to indicate that it was indeed as useless as it's appearance hinted. The creature suddenly stopped rotating its glowing balls, instead sending luminous spheres out and around its body.

"Dear lord, what now?" Double D asked frightened

The spheres then slowly began to congregate into a singular point, each increasing the size little by little. When it finished, the resulting orb was easily three times bigger than its creator, the tire-sized projectile lined with Edd's chest. With a lurch, the radiant sphere was sent hurling towards the boy.

"Dear Lord!"

He hastened his search and attempted to press down on the numerous slabs of metal making the staff. When the orb neared, he simply gave up and raised the staff his defense, turning his gaze as he did not wish to see his demise. The blast hit and he was thrown backwards, but considerable less than he had expected. He also didn't fell the intense heat he was expecting from such a powerful blast. He dared to open his eyes to find that he was very much alive and with a very peculiar item in his right hand. In his hands was a translucent barrier of blue energy formed from the gaps presented by the thin, metal sheets that risen on slender rods.

"Is this…" he studied the phenomenon for several seconds "It is. This must be one of the capabilities of my Riter. But…it seems more like a mechanism than an actual spell."

True, from the small wealth of knowledge Edd had obtained, he knew that defensive spells were normal formed away from the user and their Riter, not within it. He would definitely have to study this strange ability later but for now, he was simply amazed that the structure had held up against such a powerful attack. A familiar whistle caused him quickly hold up his shield and watch as the marble-size attack bounced harmlessly off. Gaining newfound confidence and speed, he made a beeline for the little abomination, taking care to hold his line of protection in front of him.

With a cry that could have passed as a Monkey Boy howl, he tossed the entirety of his body and built up speed into the creature as he rammed it with his Riter. The unfortunate thing was tossed a good twenty yards before it came to a stop, its form lying unmoving on the ground. Alas, it refused to give up so easily and floated back into the air.

"Ohhh, darn it. And here I thought I'd finally done away with this…creature." Edd grumbled and prepared himself

To Edd's surprise, instead of the attack that he'd been so use to, the creature hovered perfectly still for a moment. Slowly, its rings started to spin, gradually gaining speed until they blurred into thin blades. The rings than started to rotate around their master, accelerating themselves until they, too, blurred, obscuring the creatures blank, white eyes. In short, the creature had turned itself into a living gyroscope. The speed of formula racer, it blasted forward at a rate almost to fast to track. Edd braced himself and charged at his enemy, believing that even with his limited strength, he might be able to knock it back.

He was wrong.

The two forces collided and Double D struggled to simply keep himself from falling. Never had he excepted such force from such a small opponent, straining as he fought against the vibrations the spinning rings made as they collided with his Riter. With almost no effort at all, the boy found himself on the losing side of the power struggle, fighting waves of numbing vibrations caused by his enemy. To make matters worse, the ground beneath him was sinking; fast.

'_Drat! If I don't do something soon, I'll either be swallow by the landscape or mowed down by this, this…troublesome neutron! _Edd thought desperately

Shaking his head, he tried to calm his nerves as he thought of a solution. _Alright, if my hypothesis is correct, and I pray that it is, my abilities seem to be activated out of necessity. So, if I were to need my Riter to emit some sort of energy burst…_

On command his metal/magic shield eradiated a bright blue before bursting in the face of his enemy, sending the gyroscope flying a good thirty yards before it fell to the ground. This time sure of his victory, he made his way towards Fran and Johnny, passing the creature. The moment he did, he felt his body unwillingly lurch forward and into the moldable dirt. Picking himself up, he turned to see that the creature was up once, recalling the violent ring that orbited it. This creature was surely a glutton for punishment and with more fortitude than ever before, sped towards the creature, shield poised out front.

Expecting such a respond, the ebony being sent its now vibrantly colored rings at the boy. Double D braced behind his shield, waiting for the eminent collision. However, contrary to the smart Ed's belief, the rings curved away at the last second, careening around his defense and homing in on both of his vulnerable sides. Panicking and with little time to respond, he allowed his body to simply collapse beneath itself, causing him to miss the blades by mere millimeters. To ready to lose his momentum and not wanting to give the creature time for another attack, he pivoted his foot and, using the ground like spring, shot forward with remarkable speed. Forsaking his shield bashing strategy for an outstretched hand and a primal shout, the creature was helpless as a blinding and overwhelmingly powerful cone of energy burst forth from the boy's hand, sending it flying backwards. It collapsed to the ground, it form losing cohesion the instant it made contact and reverted back to its liquid state.

Edd held his breath, expecting the creature to come back once more, but when it didn't, he sighed and headed off to join the others.

Johnny deftly swung at the strange bird-sickle hybrid and dodged as it attempted to cleave the poor lad in two. He swung his hand in an arc and an array of spikes made from harden stones jutted out of the ground, impaling and destroying the vile creature. He then lifted his staff behind his back and blocked a downwards stroke from another of the deplorable monsters. He pushed the blade away and spun his staff, wisps of water accumulating on the floral weapon, and hurled the full force of a wave into the creature's delicate skull.

Fran back stepped and blocked an attack, the two blades colliding and rebounding off each other. The red head used the window of opportunity to fire a crescent of energy, the attack relieving the avian of its weaponized hands, leaving it open for back swing to the noggin. As it lost form, Fran ducked twin sickles aimed at her in a horizontal slash and spun her Riter around her finger. She gripped the hilt in a pistol fashion and squeezed the trigger, sending a bright, orange ballistic at the creature, splitting its head open.

The two quickly found themselves back-to-back, more creatures popping up to take the place of those they slain. Panting moderately from their efforts, they each fired off long range spells, attempting to keep a line between them and the avian monstrosities.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, sir!" Fran yelled over her assault of bullets

"Just hang in there a bit longer, Fran! I think I have an idea!" the captain replied just as loud

Before he could even elaborate on his plan, however, a group a creatures was seen being wiped out one after the other, lending the two soldiers to give it their full attention. To their utter surprise and shock, what crashed through the lined was Double D, a shield hoisted in front of him in a battering ram-like fashion. The boy, in his hurried frenzy, had overlooked a rock on the ground and thus tripped, tumbling a ways before landing at the foot of his superior. The girl looked at him in complete disbelief, finding it hard to believe that this boy that just managed the feat she just witness.

Using the diversion his friend had created, he slammed his staff into the ground and concentrated. Pooling his energy together, he forced it at a focal point in his body, steadily building the energy until it became simply too much to contain. Condemning any plant life in the area, he shouted for Edd and Fran to brace themselves and released the energy he'd stored. A violent surge of flame shot outwards, engulfing everything that dared to impede its path. Death rattles echoed as the creatures with simply evaporated into nothingness. The roaring flames lasted for what seemed like an eternity before they finally died down and ceased.

Double D got up from his crouched position and beheld the damage and power of the geomancer's power. Any hint that there were ever any creatures there was gone, vaporized by the scorching blaze. Licks of flames were still present, burning on the blackened earth as ash smothered and blew away in the wind. Fran was speechless. Never before had she witness such a display of raw power, the ravaging force of a wildfire released in an instant. Her eyes quickly darted towards Johnny, the boy still kneeled. He slowly rose and jerked his staff out of the dirt, beads of sweat dripping down his face.

"Johnny, are you alright?" Double D asked as rushed to his friend

"I'm fine." Johnny said with a smile

Truth be told, using spells such as Wildfire took more concentration rather than power. If one lost focus for even an instance, they could find themselves on the receiving end of a nasty Recoil or expending more energy than was needed or affecting too large or too small an area. Johnny had learned to use such spells effectively courtesy of his master's teachings. Gathering himself, Johnny beckoned the two to follow once more.

In the distant, far behind the trio, a puddle of ebony liquid, suddenly gurgled. Slowly, the murk lifted itself into the air, taking shape and forming a familiar floating figure. The figure than slowly drifted after the trio.

Several battles and hikes up and down the treacherous grounds, the finally arrived at something that warranted notice. The entrance to what appeared to be a cavern was decorated with scrawled writing in some obscured language engraved on a carefully crafted and aged stone resting overhead with two, slightly damaged, pillars supporting it. The words 'Very Obvious Mysterious Point of Interest' seemed to hover above it. Double D was instantly enthralled and found himself walking towards the opening almost automatically.

"Fran, go with him. Double D tends to get…wrapped up in stuff like this." Johnny explained

Fran nodded and leapt after the boy, already inside the strange structure. As he had expected, it was large but what he didn't expect was for there to be equipment inside. Aged, dust ridden terminals laid lifeless as wires ran all around the room in a uniform pattern. At the center, a large hexagonal shape with small rods protruding out from each points. This particular machine was in pristine condition, miraculously devoid of any bits unwanted dust particles. Fascinated beyond his wildest fantasies, he set to work attempting to decipher the strange dialect.

Fran vaulted into the cavern, instantly becoming awed by contains of it. Quickly shaking her head to regain her composure, she found Edd diligently working on one of the machines.

"Double D, what do you think you're doing?" Fran asked

"Oh, Fran! Good, I was needing some assistance." the pre-teen genius said

The boy pointed to the western wall and asked the girl to flip the switch positioned just above her head. While she was doing that, Double D pulled his goggles onto his eyes and careful mutter the spell.

"Optic Bypass."

The strange and untellable writing instantly flashed green and was displayed in highlighted, legible text. A wide smiled spread itself across his face. He had expected his goggles to have some magical properties and was glad to see that the spell he casted was effective. From what he knew about this certain spell, it would allow one to overlook or 'bypass' any special seals or glamours that were placed on an object and lucky for him, these scrawls were protected by just that. The Edd turned his head to see if Fran had followed his instructions, only to find himself face-to-face with the creature from before. Resisting the urge to scream, he was startled as the creature warmly rubbed his cheek before disappearing into his Riter. The sudden return of the lights caused him to snap back into reality.

"Okay, now what?" Fran asked

"From what I can tell, this terminal is used to run this device known as the Interdimensional Transportation Gateway, which allows travel to other dimensions." Edd explained, curiosity piqued

"Whatever. We might as well flip this thing on and see if what they say is true:" she said

"Of course." Double D said

Looking over the instructions with a quick Optic Bypass, he poised his hand over a particular switch and heaved with all his might. Ancient gears churned, strained, and popped as they were once again forced into operation. Double D fell forwards as the switch fell to the ground, groaning to himself. Grandiose arcs of electricity sparked to life as the life-giving element instantly dominated the cavern, blinding and scorching the area near the two soldiers. Then, a strange symbol glow from beneath the structure and the lightning arced and curved into spirals, a vortex forming and drawing the two soldiers into it in the blink of an eye.

…

Doubled blinked his eyes once. Twice. A third for good measure. He had to make sure that what he was seeing was actually real and not simply the byproduct of the adrenaline rushing to his head working together with his ingenious imagination. The reason for all this hoopla was the fact that in front of him was a squad of machines, not just machines, robots, each armed with rifle-like weapons trained at his and Fran foreheads. One of these robots, dulled grey with a superior air and look about, walked to them with a smile.

"Welcome, flesh bags." it said in a fabricated voice simply etched with malice

"Fran! Double D!"

Johnny had heard the explosion and raced towards the smoldering pile of rubble, knowing that his two subordinates were trapped inside. He would've attempt to free them if not for a blast of red energy that sent him jumping backwards. He landed on his feet and gazed at the source of the attack, the crimson eyes of Dark Ace staring at him with smug satisfaction.

"Hello, Captain." he said before launching himself at the boy

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Okay, I'm officially giving up on setting a word limit and instead, will just write however much the chapter called, this particular one called for 7000 words. I guess you can consider it my make up for being offline for longer than I planned. Anyway, we finally have some action, quite a lot I must say. An aerial battle at the beginning, a street fight in the middle, and a domination at the end. By the way, the only reason Double D's group got so much face time is because this and the next part focus primly on them.

All information about spells and creatures will be posted on my profile, so If you want to learn more about them, simply look there.


	8. Off to see pt 2

Chapter 8: Off to see a Wizard…and a Villain…and a War zone pt. 2

"Argh! Work, you piece of junk!" Knuckles shouted

Finn and Flap both sighed, resting themselves on the crates that surrounded their downed vessel. The trio of heroes had crash landed after their fuel cells died during their search for Candy Island, causing the cramped occupants to scream as they were hurled towards the ground. Luckily, the _ground _turned out to be a suspended, wooden harbor which was none other than the notorious Storm-Along Harbor that from which Flapjack and Knuckles hailed. Unfortunately, they crashed into a very particular house, and its owner, a stout, plump woman, was none too happy about it.

"It's just our luck we'd crash into the Dock Hag's stupid house." Knuckles grumped under his breath.

"Its not so bad, Cap'n." Flapjack said chipperly "At least she didn't send us to jail _and _she let us use what's left of her house to help fix our ship."

"Yeah, _after _she wrung us dry for every pence we had! And gave a dozen citations we have ta pay later!" Knuckles said furiously as he tightened a bolt

Because of his anger, said bolt was sent ricocheting off the engine and through alleyways, pipes, and pedestrians before breaking through the window of the small shack that the dock hag was using for herself. The woman walked up to the window and stared daggers at the man before jotting down another dock violation. Knuckles groaned in defeat and placed the wrench on the engine and gripped his head.

The man didn't know the first thing about the simple mechanics used in everyday life, so what hope did he have of fixing the engine of a ship that was easily a thousand times more advanced. He knew the answer right away: none. Absolutely zero and he was only making himself look foolish trying to appear as if he knew what he was doing. Feeling a headache coming on, he grabbed his flask of maple syrup and took a long swig, his tension quickly melting away with each spine-tingling shiver.

Finn sighed loudly and pouted. He thought that going along with the two fellow adventurers would be a fun, possibly life-changing experience, but so far all the experience had produced was a feeling of boredom and aimlessness. He had expected some excitement. He had excepted to kick some evil monster butt. He had expected…what _did _he expect? After waking up in their ship, everything had pretty much become a spur of the moment. He had no idea what his accomplishes or goals were outside of this Candy Island nor he of his own.

"What am I doing, man?" Finn muttered loudly

Loudly enough for the golden haired lad to give a look of concern and curiosity.

"Whaddaya mean?" he asked, scooting closer

"I don't know, like…what am I suppose to do now? Where am I suppose to be going? Be doing?" he knew there was little chance the boy would understand his vague questions but he just had to get them out.

Flapjack looked at his new friend before giving him a smile.

"Well, you'll just have to keep riding with us til you figure it out."

Finn's face stared at the boy for a few seconds, startled by the forward respond before easing into bright smile. For some odd reason, the boy's response had made him feel quite calm.

"I say! Is that a flying contraption!"

The adventurers turned to see a middle aged man dressed in a brown aviation uniform staring wide eyed at their craft. In a blur, he was standing over the exposed engines, mouth practically frothing as he gazed upon the futuristic pistons, gears and inner working.

"Hey! It's the Inventor's Brother!" Flapjack exclaimed

"Yes, that I am." the man confirmed

"Do you think you could fix our ship?" Flapjack inquired eagerly

The inventor whipped his head around, eyes bigger than plates and glazed over in pure amazement. He clasped his hands together and resisted the urge to scream.

"You mean I'll get the chance to study _and _improve upon this marvelous flying contraption!" he asked

The lad nodded and the man shrieked in delight, dancing on his toes. "I shall return momentarily!" he hollered before he disappeared down the street akin to that of a drag racer before reappearing nary a moment later, arms clutching a variety of tools.

(-x-)

The sky above the desolate planet was dark, tinted with shades of orange that inclined the approach of dawn. Or perhaps it was dusk? The strange and eerily beautiful sky made it difficult to tell the time of day, but time was something that was so abundant and that meant so little to its residents that trying to keep track of it was meaningless.

Slowly the view of the sky gave way to a particular metal building, which in turn gave way to the interior, revealing a prison cell that held captive two, young Underground soldiers, one of which was screaming furiously and rocking the bars.

"Let me outta' here!" Fran hollered as she furiously shook the iron bars "When I get outta' here, I'm gonna tear your head off with a chainsaw!"

One of the guards who was posted near the girl giggled under his non-existent breath. "Well, looks like we've got a little flirt on our hands." he said to his partner as playfully elbowed him.

"Let me out so I's can tear ya' arms off an' feed 'em to ya!" the red head threatened menacingly

The guards busted into laughter, whipping a drop of coolant from their optic sensors "Man, what a fox! If I weren't already married…"

"The heck's wrong with these guys?" Fran asked her hat wearing comrade

"It would seem that death threats are equivalent to _flirting _on this planet." Double D surmised "How disturbing."

"Tell me about it."

The two turned around and came face-to-face with a strange trio. One of them was a large man with a black and white uniform, visor, and defined face while another was a brown robot with blue optics and old style radio implanted on its chest while still another was a young boy with messy brown hair, blue shirt and pants, and thick, black glasses. Double D's eyes lit up at the sight of the machine and the scientific minded lad couldn't help himself as he materialized in front of robot with a magnifying glass.

"Can I help you?" the robot asked

"Unbelievably, uneqivalently fascinating! There's compounds and techniques I didn't even think were possible!" Double D rambled

"Well, it's only natural seeing as my construction is nearly a thousand years more advanced than yours." the machine responded

At this, Fran's features perked into questioning look "Wait a minute. Are you guys from Time Squad?"

"Time Squad?" Edd parroted

"Oh, so you've heard of us?" the large man said proudly

"Of course I have," Fran said with a vicious smile "These three are the biggest _screw-ups _on the force!"

"WHAT! Now you listen here, little missy!"

"MISSY? You wanna' fight, ol' man!"

"I'll show up an old man, girly!"

"Enough!" Edd said as he pulled Fran away from the temporal patrol officer, eyes and nostrils flared with rage "Isn't our situation bad enough without starting frivolous fights?"

"Yeah, Tuddrussel, listen to reason!" the boy said as he strained to pull his commanding officer

"Oh, c'mon, Otto. Just one round! I've been itchin' to scrap all day!" he emphasized his point by pounding his fist

"Then bring it! I've been lookin' fer a new practice dummy!" Fran shot back, smug grin plastered on her face.

"Alright, that's quite enough from you two!" the robot said angrily

He extended his metallic arms and tightly pinched their ears, causing them to yelp in pain as they're delicate lobes were compressed between the robotic digits. After making sure that the two had been successfully pacified, he released his grip and received piercing, teary glares from the two. The robot simply glared back "Oh please, you two were acting like children. I'd expect more from two commanding officers."

"I assume you're familiar with the Underground?" Double D inquired

"Yeah," the boy said "we've been assigned to help you guys since this is causing the future to get all screwy."

"I see…So how did you three even arrive in this world?" Double D's curious nature was once again revealing itself

"Well, we were originally trying to solve an event further down the timeline that caused this future outcome rather than the utopia that from where we hail." the robot held up its arm and quickly accessed a computer on its forearm, producing a hologram "We were suppose to go back in time to some barbaric TV series known as 'Destroy, Built, Destroy' and prevent the idiot from using a highly volatile explosive named NTW, or **N**uke **T**he **W**orld as its commonly referred to, which destroyed all organic life on the planet, leaving only robots that would later evolve into what they are now."

"Are you telln' me that these idjits actually used something' called 'Nuke The World'!" Fran yelled "How _stoopid _are these people?"

"Stupid enough to use it." the boy said "Oh, we didn't introduce ourselves. I'm Otto."

"And I am the Larry 3000." the robot said politely and bowed "You've already met Captain Idiot over there."

"Hey! I am your Commanding Officer, _Larry_, and you better start listening to me!" Tuddrussel shouted, sticking an accusing finger in his robots face.

"I will when you start acting competent and capable of coherent thought." the robot replied snidely

"A-Hem." Double D coughed in order to stop the brawl that was about to break out "Pardon me but, Larry, you're a robot. Why are you in here with us?"

Larry hung his head "Because these brute said that the fact that I don't have any weapons makes me a disgrace to the robotic race. I'm lucky I wasn't _vaporized_."

Double D was taken aback by this comment and quickly attempted to regain his composure. From what little he'd seen of this planet, he'd come to a single conclusion: this whole world was insane. _Dangerously _insane. The Ed didn't want to spend a single second more here than he had to.

"Any way outta here?" Fran asked

"Uh uh. Bars too strong, walls too thick. Maybe if I had my blaster-"

"Or my Riter." Fran concluded from the large officer.

Suddenly, an idea formed in Edd's head. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and concentrated. He pushed aside any outside distractions and mentally pictured the sleek, patchwork steel of his Riter. Then, he pictured the creature from before, saw its form raising and forming that ever familiar nucleus-

"Hey, kid. Whatcha doin'?" Tuddrussel blurted

"Please! I'm trying to concentrate!" Double D shouted, coming out far more snappish and impatient than he intended it be.

All eyes fell on the boy, Fran's being especially questioning. She didn't think the boy could _get _angry, let alone be this angry over something like this. The boy waved his hands apologetically before quickly pardoning his rude outburst.

"I just think it'd help if you all could be quiet for a few moments, please?" his face was pleading, the last bit aimed directly at Fran and Tuddrussel.

The two stared at each other briefly before averting the other's gaze and huffing a simultaneous "Fine."

Double D's mouth tugged a relieved smile before he once again closed his eyes in concentration. Once more the Riter came into view and he found himself visioning the creature forming above it. As it completed, Edd felt himself detach from consciousness and drift into meditation.

(-x-)

Blink.

Blink. Blink.

The creature looked around its surroundings, finding itself concealed within a rather dark room filled with an assortment of confiscated weapons. It briefly wondered why it was in the room and even why it was summoned when something clicked in the back of its head. Suddenly, he found himself connected to a familiar energy: calm, benevolent, and semi-confused about how it had even become connected to it in the first place.

That's when the creature suddenly made sense of the presence: it was its master. It listened intensely before it finally nodded in understanding of its orders. Slowly, it drifted above the staff from which it was summoned and used a tendril to pick it up effortlessly. It quickly scanned the room before grabbing two more items: Fran's Riter and Tuddrussel's blaster. With its items in 'hand', it conjurored an energy sphere before ramming it through the door.

"Huh?" one of the guards said as he rose from his slumber

From the destroyed door came a small, black something carrying three weapons. The guard reached for his gun, but a bullet-fast sphere to the chest exploded in his chest and caused him to tumble to the ground, off-line. The creature chirped at its victory, only for a swarm of guards to appear. It surveyed the armed forces before settling on the best method of attack. Slowly than quickly, it turned into its 'gyroscope' and rammed at the surprised guards with the speed and strength of a freight train.

The two guards stopped toying with each other and quirked their heads in the direction of growing sounds of screeching metal and synthetic screams. They both reached for their weapons before a cloud of something came rushing at them, swallowing them up before them could scream.

The inhabitants of the cell all backed away hesitantly from the bars as the cloud settled, the two officers assuming combat positions while Larry and Otto both moved themselves and a still unconscious Double D towards the wall. The bars to the cell suddenly snapped opened and in floated the most bizarre sight any of them had ever seen: a black creature carrying each of the officers weapons with bits and pieces of robotic remains hanging from them.

The two didn't question it when their weapons were placed it their hands, the tendrils uncurling and retracting back into their form. The creature slowly drifted towards Edd and chirped, the smart Ed miraculously opening his eyes. The instance he saw the creature, he patted it on the head, making it thrilled delightfully.

"Mind telling me what just happen?" the muscle bound time officer asked

"Simple." Edd explained as he rose to his feet with the aid of his staff "I simply sensed where my Riter was and then remotely called out my summons. During which, I slipped into a deep meditative state. My mind connected with the summons, allowing me to order it and have complete access to everything it experienced and vise-versa."

Tuddrussel and his crew were simply staring, lost at the boy's matter-of-factly way of stating the strange event, while Fran crossed her arms and smiled smugly.

"You clever boy, you. Didn't think a novice like you could pull off a move like that. Takes some serious concentration." Fran stated, assessing the lad

Double D rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before returning his attention back towards the small, black summons.

"I can't keep calling you 'summons', now can I?" the creature chirped and the lad put a finger to his chin thoughtfully "How about I call you…Neutron?"

The little creature beamed happily at its new name snuggled his master's cheek before disappearing into the staff. The tender moment was shattered as the sounds of angry guards filled the cell. Fran simply smirked and flipped her blade into a familiar back-handed grip. With a war cry, she and the two officers made their way outside into the blazing inferno of laser fire.

(-x-)

D'Raziw was a special place for the simple fact that it was one of the few organizations that didn't discriminate against generations. Because of this, many sought acceptance to the Academy because they desired sanctuary from the war. Another thing that made it special was that it was one of the only remaining institutions that taught magic. For this reason a certain young girl found herself enrolled at the mystical school.

In a large room, a library to be exact, the same young girl was balancing a large stack of books in her arms precariously as she attempted to maintain her delicate balance. She took slow, measured steps, weary knowing that the slightest misstep spelled disaster.

"Whoa…whoa…whoaaggrrhh!" Unfortunately, she had slipped on a dropped pencil and gravity brought both her and her insurmountable load to the ground.

A muffled groan managed to escape from the pile before a pair of hands heaved a young girl's face from the pile. She had lovely, black hair with a pink streak dyed into it, giving an even more exotic glow to her face. Her face contorted into a strained frown as she fruitlessly struggled to free herself from the musty tomes.

"If I had to guess, I'd give you an eight for the dive and a two for the landing."

The girl's attention focused on the dog sitting on the desk across from her, sitting on all fours with his front paws crossed over themselves. His hazel eyes were framed perfectly by his grey fur and a knowing smirk was spread across his mug. The girl glared harshly at the canine, continuing to try and free herself.

"Monroe, a little _help_?" she quipped

"I could ask you the same thing, Juniper."

The girl cringed and looked up, her gaze settling on humor-less face of her mentor. The girl was only two years older than her but she had more experience than she could ever have gained in her entire career. Despite being only thirteen, she sure didn't dress like it. From her grey V neck, to the black leather jacket sewn in red, to the high heeled combat boots, she seemed to dress much more maturely than someone her age should've, but that was Jenavene for you.

"H-hi, Jen." Juniper said sheepishly "Just putting those books up like you asked."

The teen crouched down to be eye-level with her student. Seeing her beneath the pile of old text warranted a sigh and shake of her bistre haired head.

"June," she started, sending coils of dark energy around the numerous books pinning the girl to the floor "Why didn't you just ask me to help you?"

Juniper watched, speechless, as the coils effortlessly freed up and went about setting the books in their proper places. She sighed and hung her head.

"Because you have so much more important things to worry about than helping me put away a few books." she said dejectedly

Juniper idolized Jen. From the moment she saw her, to her first time witnessing her fight, to her charming personality. She was everything she admired in her Ah-Mah yet simply younger and easier to relate to. So she always felt pathetic when she had to ask her help with seemingly everything. Even now, she couldn't even put away a few lousy books.

"Look, June." Jenavene said as she placed a fawn shaded hand on her shoulder "I know you're under a lot of pressure, ya know with being the Te Xuan Ze and leaving the city for the first time and having your Grandma and everyone depending on you and having to pick up all sorts of spells and incantations that normally take years to master in a handful of months with little experience in them-"

"Okay, Jen, I get it." June said quickly, not needing the retelling of all the pressures on her currently

"Just know that you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help and don't hesitate to ask me for anything." the teen said with a smile and helped Juniper up.

"Now then, I have some news." June's expression instantly snapped towards Jen's "Johnny called and said that some friends of his are coming over to ask about something urgent. I have to go check on an experiment, so I need you to keep them occupied until I get back, m'kay?"

Juniper shook her head vigorously. There was no way she could mess this up. With that, the teen walked up the large spiral staircase to her office.

"I dunno darling," Monroe said from his perch "You seem to be on a ball when it comes to messing up assignments."

The young Te Xuan Ze whipped her head and stared harshly at her guardian/summons. He had the annoying habit of reading her thoughts whenever they were synced and she was finding his increasingly sarcastic attitude to be just the tiniest bit annoying. Then, she smiled and focused on a certain thought…

"Juniper! That is completely inappropriate for a young lady!" he shouted

"Serves you right for nosing around in my mind." he quipped

Satified with her victory over the canine, she quickly turned her attention back to preparing for the arrival of the geomancer's allies…

…and rammed right into a very solid, very odiferous wall.

She quickly backed away and gasped for air, trying to rid her lungs of the foul stench. Never had she encountered such an odor, not even a puss goblin had smelt this horrifying! When she finally managed to regain her composure, she looked up and saw that the wall was actually a tall boy with a rather happy grin on his face. Standing directly behind him was a chubby lab in an aviator's hat, a purple half-cat teenager, and a small rhino.

"Yeesh, I definitely feel for ya, sister." the half-cat said "You just got a full whiff of Ed. Not pretty. At all."

"Not pretty." the rhino parroted

The girl stared confusedly at the boy who she assumed was Ed, only to have a pair of arms constrict her into the single most crushing bear hug she'd ever experienced. She let out a muffled shout as her spine cracked in several different places, the boy relenting his grip as she fell limply to the floor. The girl slowly picked herself off the floor and steadily settled into a upright position. Ed looked down at her and squeezed her into another hug, this time bawling like a baby.

"I'm sorry, friend! Ed did not mean to squash you!" he cried, tears streaming as he tightened his grip

"*Crack*…Its'…*Snap*…Alright…*Shatter*…Really…" June grunted as her vertebra was further fractured

"Ed! Put her down before you break her in half!" the plump boy shouted

The boy did as he was told and June once again crashed to the floor, this time in far more pain. The half cat slapped a palm on his face and stared at his lummox friend.

"Ed, could you please try and _not _break the renowned researcher?" the young man asked

"Researcher?" the Te Xuan Ze inquired as she rose from the ground "I'm no researcher. You guys must be talking about Jenavene. I'm her assistance, Juniper Lee."

"I'm Odd and the big lug here is Ed, the rhino's Clam, and the round guy behind me is Hoagie." the beastly teen said as he introduced themselves

"Ahem." a voice coughed, making June turned around and frown curtly

"Oh and this my _guardian _summons, Monroe." she said his title with great disdain

"So where's this Jenavene at anyways?" Odd asked, looking around the large library

"She's upstairs checking on something. She told me to keep you guys occupied until she comes back."

"Well don't know what we're suppose to do until-" Odd's sentence derailed as his eyes caught sight of something on one of the book shelves. He carefully removed it from it's shelve and held it to his face, completely in awe. He stared at it intensely for several seconds before shouting "NO WAY!"

The entire library turned in his direction as the boy held the thin paper back high above his head.

"This is a limited Edition Boomfist issue 78, Editor's Cut!" the lad exclaimed

"No way!" Ed piped as he clamored over the teen's head to validate the book authenticity "I thought all of these went missing years!" Numbuh 2 shouted as he gazed at the glorious sight "Cool." Clam said mesmerized as he groped for the cover.

"Tsk. Typical fan boys." Monroe sighed as the foursome each attacked each other over the sacred comic

Just as the brawl was to escalate into truly outrageous proportions, a dark light lifted the comic from their clawing hands and up into the air, landing in the hands of a teenage girl descending the stairs.

"So you guys must be the friends Johnny called me about." Jenavene said as she took even, measured steps down the spiral walk way.

Ed and Clam simply watched the girl with innocence while Hoagie and Odd watched with far less innocence eyes. These two had seen their fair share of beauties, but this one easily topped their charts. She was barely Odd's age and she still had curves in all the right places, if still developing, and they both had to bite their lip to avoid drooling. Juniper, however, easily spotted this and sighed. Yet another thing Jen did that she couldn't: get guys to drool over her without trying.

"And I take it you're the _lovely _Miss Jenavene?" Odd said, turning on the charm

"And I take it you're the guy who's butt I'm going to kick half-way to New Metropolis if you don't stop trying to hit on me?" Jen snapped back with the same charm, only much more intimidating

Odd appropriately backed off and made a mentally note of checking her under the 'hard-to-get' category. Having cleared up that situation, she turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"What was it you wanted to ask me about?" she asked

"This." Hoagie said and produced a small vial from his pocket. Inside was a free flowing liquid, sloshing and gushing in every direction as its attempted to escape.

The girl's eyes went wide with shock. She gingerly took the vial and stared at it with stunned eyes. Even June, with her limited experience, knew what this strange substance was.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, voice practically spelling out her demand for an answer

"A-at the Drop. There was a whole tidal wave of this stuff flooding the place." Hoagie explained, voice trembling.

"A _Tidal Wave_?" Jenavene asked and looked down at the vial

Then tossed it to June, who was startled by the action, but quickly regained her composure and sent a crackle of blue energy through it. It's movement ceased and it became as placid and lifeless as water.

"How'd you do that?" Odd asked with a curious brow

"That was a burst of positive energy as opposed to the negative energy that dominated previously." Jen explained

"Huh?" the foursome all asked in unison

"Alright, I'll try to explain." the teen walked over to Juniper and carefully picked up the vial "This right here is Life Essence or Essence for short. This stuff exists in literally everything and gives it life. What you guys have been experiencing is Kin."

"You mean like our cousins?" Ed asked with a worried frown

"No…Kin are what happen when Essence is corrupted by negative energy from negative emotions." she then uncapped and, to the boys shock, poured it on the floor "By itself, it no threat. It just lies there until its put to some purpose."

"But if you add even the tiniest bit of bad vibes…" June said and a sliver of dark energy snaked to the ground.

The moment it made contact, the black goo sprang back to life, molding itself into a long, thin tendril that lashed out at the group surrounding it. Jen grabbed it and shot another pulse of positive energy into it, dissolving it completely.

"Sooo, I'm taking the fact that we found a whole tide of this stuff is bad?" Odd inquired meekly

"More like _way _bad." Juniper said, stepping in to give her two cents "Just because Essence exists in all things doesn't mean that it's harmless. A whole wave of the stuff that big won't stop there. By now, it's probably making it's way to New Metropolis right now."

"You mean the whole city's gonna be underwater, ugh, muck!" Hoagie gripped his head gear, craving groves into the leather.

"No, the tide's most likely gone by now, but the corrupt Essence is making it's way there." Jen explained as she surveyed the walls for a certain old text "It won't change things at first, but with enough negative vibes, they'll be swamped with Kin."

Carefully, she reached up and pulled a book from the case. Giving Odd a head's up, the teen had little time to react as the tome fell into his hands, causing him to dip to the ground. Regaining his erect posture, he gazed down at the cover of the book, bound in brown leather, metal clips, and gems with a stunning picture gracing the cover. Dozens of notes, bookmarks, and tabs. A single, bold word was written elegantly above the carefully drawn pictures: Enchiridion.

"The is the Enchiridion." Jen said in a scholarly tone "It's the only book of its kind. It's pages contain knowledge of all the heroes, villains, and creatures in the world. It'll help you on your journey, I'm sure."

"Journey?" Clam asked with a quirked brow

"The Kin are vile, evil creatures who exist only to see destruction. The only way to truly be rid of them is to create a container to hold the entirety of the force." Jen summoned a whip of dark energy and sent it into the corner, retrieving a small pack "Which is why I'll be joining you."

"What!" Juniper shouted at the top of her lungs "You're leaving! Who's gonna watch your workshop?"

"I'm sure the staff'll sort it out." she said dismissively

"Well…well if you're going, I'm going too!" June said indignatively

"No, June. You're staying here to keep at your training." She quickly placed a black wisped covered finger on the young girl lips as she attempted to protest further "And no buts. Monroe will oversee your training and studies until I get back."

With that, she patted the girl on the head and proceeded to escort the quartet of boys outside back towards their ship. Once the girl had left, Monroe cleared his throat and caught Juniper's attention.

"Well dear, shall we get started with a little transmogrification and perhaps a wee bit of phantom plasmid crafting?"

June groaned. Looks like Monroe wasn't wasting any time with enforcing himself as her instructor.

(-x-)

_**Well? Don't you have anything to say to me, boy?**_

Eddy couldn't breath, let alone talk. His body was paralyzed by crippling fear, every fiber of his being shouting at him to run. But his mind was blank, its only orders to simply stand still. Never before had he felt such terror, such an overwhelming need to flee. Not even the Kanker sisters had made him feel so frightened. His eyes darted to Courage, still staggering out of the crater with his paw firmly placed on his chest, pouring all his energy into healing himself. His orbs then beheld Buttercup, the powerful heroine gripped snuggly in his vice-like claw. As he processed these thoughts, another powerful set of emotions filled him: rage, hatred, followed by last-ditch bravery.

"Yeah, I've got sumthin' to say," he gripped his twin disks tightly, the Riter extending and sectioning into cross-like formation "get ready to get the crap beat outta ya!"

The demonic being smiled smugly and further tightened his grip on the girl _**We'll see about that.**_

Buttercup squirmed in her captor's grip, fruitlessly trying to pry open the lobster-like claws for naught. She had fought Him before, but he seemed so much different now. Gone were the high heels replaced with combat boots that blended seamlessly into his pants. His toned chest was covered by nothing except the long, flowing red and white coat that flapped behind him. None of the make-up was seen on his face, drawing all attention to his unnatural green and red eyes. This wasn't the Him she'd beaten so many times before; this Him was darker, viler, and _much _more masculine.

Eddy gripped his Riter firmly before he sprang forward, swinging right for the red devil's head. To his shock, the devil blocked it with his claw. He swung again and received the same result. Again and again he swung, attempting to strike any part of him but each time failed. And all while holding the powerpuff and not moving a single inch save his arm. After finding close-range ineffective, he skidded back and sent his Riter flying, the disks spinning at blurring velocity. Him dismissed it with arc of his claw, deflecting the weapons into the air.

Eddy smirked slyly. With a pull, the weapons came flying back down, crashing into the sides of his head with newfound momentum. The boy smiled. He couldn't help but smile. He'd managed to get a hit. The victory was short lived however, as his eyes stared in utter disbelief. His attack had done nothing. No skid marks, no scarred flesh, not so much as a bruise. And he was smiling. The gesture was further amplified by his eyes, which pierced him with a superior look of confidence.

_**Not bad, boy. **_He said as began to lower Buttercup _**Only this girl and her sisters have managed to actually lay hands on me.**_

Suddenly, half a dozen Kins formed from the ground, these taking a surprisingly human form save for their pointed ears and whip-like flowing 'hair'. The moment Him released his grip, they swarmed her, pinning her to the ground with their combined strength.

_**Hold on to her for me while I deal with this boy **_he commanded and the Kin obeyed, increasing their collective hold.

With both claws now unburdened, Eddy watched as him was on him in a literal flash, his mind picking up on the downward strike half-way to his face. He blocked, the recoil nearly knocking the disk out of hand. Another strike achieved the same effect and then another and another. Soon, Eddy found himself in a very delicate dance of death, one which Him was obviously leading. Attacking was as far away from Eddy's mind as charity, the short Ed barely managing the defensive.

And all Buttercup could do was watch. Watch as Eddy narrowly managed to escape Him's vicious onslaught. If he was fighting the former Him, maybe he might've stood a chance, but this Him was different. Every blow made was aimed away from vital areas, slashing at angles that made them easily blocked and delivered at nowhere near full power led her to one conclusion: he was toying with him. She knew that he was simply dragging out the fight, trying to pull as much entertainment as possible from the boy. She knew that soon he'd get serious and that he desperately needed her help. If only she wasn't trapped by these stupid Kin!

Him smiled broadly as he swiped at Eddy's neck, the boy barely blocking it. The lad was proving to be quite fun and more importantly, he was losing ground. Suddenly, he dodged a swipe at his right and heaved his weapon into his chest, creating distance between them. Eddy smiled widely while Him's all but vanished.

"How ya like that?" Eddy shouted confidently

Him stared at him for a brief moment and sighed.

_**Well it looks like playtime is over. **_he sunk his shoulders and pouted _**And I was **_**just **_**starting to have fun.**_

Eddy quirked a brow as he watched Him complain and open one of his claws, aimed at him. Dark, green energy, crackling with untold force, started to rapidly build in his open claw until it was roughly the size of a rubber ball. He then let it fly, the attack zooming out of his claw like a bullet from a barrel and pass a stunned Eddy as it landed with a massive explosive, the shockwave ruffling the boy's clothes.

Eddy slowly turned to look back, finding the entire area behind him utterly destroyed. Eddy nearly snapped his neck as he whipped back round to see another ballistic flying dead at him. _Can't block, _he thought _moving too fast. Only one other option. _He raised his weapon in front of him and braced for impact. The explosion hit and expanded with tremendous force, sending debris in every which direction. Buttercup's eyes nearly burst out along with her heart as she witnessed it. Him smiled smugly and lowered his claw.

Only to give a befuddled look as the smoke cleared. Eddy was still standing and his Riter was glowing with a circular, radiate blue shield with a curious symbol in the middle. Eddy, upon opening his eyes, was just as confused as Him was as looked at the shield. But that confusion soon turned into smug confidence. He took off in run, shields blazing, and aimed right at Him. The demonic overlord shot off several more rounds, but they were easily swatted away by the Riter and soon met with the side of his face. It forced him back several feet, only for another to strike him again. Soon, it was Him on the defensive and Edd on the attack.

_**Enough. **_the yell sounded un-really calm as Him pushed Eddy away _**This game has gone on long enough. I'm afraid, my dear Eddy, that the time to get serious has come.**_

Eddy's attempt at a comeback never came as the wicked demon's claw found itself square in his midsection. Eddy gasped in surprise and received a kick to the head, sending him flying. Before he could even fall, Him was already there, kicking him towards the ground where he caught another claw to his side. It was true what Him said: the time to get serious had come. His attacks were brutal, fast and left him limp as a rag doll. The latest attack sent him skidding just feet away from Buttercup, battered and bruised but thankfully still breathing.

"Man, am I glad those old hags make good treads." Eddy said quietly as he attempted to stand

Him smiled and pointed his claw at a clothing store _**Watch closely, boy **_he said as the sphere formed in the open space _**for your about to see how special you really are. **_

With that, the small, marble-sized orb blasted the upper part of the store clean off, revealing it's innards. Inside was a black haired women, standing in front of a group of shivering, young children. Buttercup recognized them instantly. It was Ms. Kean and her classmates. Him motioned in their direction and dozens of Kin sprouted from the ground, looking menacingly at their targets.

_**Do away with them.**_

The Kin obeyed, moving deliberately slow towards the group, extending their already frightened states. Buttercup struggled fiercely against her restrainers with renewed vigor but was still too weak to break free. Eddy, being the only able body, rushed at the group, only for a elongated claw to reach out and slam him to the ground. The Ed quickly sprang to his feet, striking several times at Him in order to slip pass, meeting another trip towards the earth. The terrified cries of the children rang in his ears and Eddy found enough of an opening to rush past, only to be trapped and lifted up in the air once more. He sent his Riter flying out of his hand and at the screaming kids, the Kin only feet away. A flicker of Him's eyes sent them hurling in the opposite direction but Eddy tugged on his energy rope and the disk dug into the ground expanding to encompass the entire store as he hit the ground.

Him looked at the shielded store and then turned his attention to the boy grimacing in his outreached grip. Walking up him, he stared down at the boy, clothes covered in scarps and scratches, and lowered himself.

_**Why? **_he asked in a strangely curious tone

"What're you blabbing about?" Eddy moaned

_**You don't fool me boy. I can easily see into the depths of person's soul at a glance. **_he lowered his face just inches from the Ed's _**And you're no hero. **_

_**I've scarcely seen a soul with so much greed, so much ego, so much vanity. So I ask you, why do you choose to act like a hero? **_he pointed a claw towards the people crowded behind the shield _**The moment you cease to be conscious, that shield will drop and those people's lives will be mine. You know you're out matched, outclassed, and sorely outnumbered. So why would you, who would easily sell your own mother's soul for a few coins, choose this? I could offer you more money than you ever dreamed, everlasting fame, and immorality. So, I ask again, why?**_

Eddy slowly rose his head, eyes narrowed in deadpan expression "Because sock-head would never let me hear the end of it."

_**Hm Hm. A hero out of loyalty.**_ he lifted Eddy's already limp body out of the ground and slammed it into the side of a building _**Loyalty is a very worthy trait. But it can also be a vice, my dear boy. So I'll offer you one more chance. Join me and my cause. What is your answer?**_

Eddy thought for several seconds, his mind drifting on and off the tantalizing deal. Then, he settled on the best words to put his answer.

"Here's my answer:" Eddy's hand came within reach of his chain "**BACK OFF!**"

With a blast of light, Him was sent hurdling back courtesy of Eddy's summons Victor. The goat bahhed at his master and the boy pried himself loose, yanking his rope and summoning his Riter. Him growled furiously at the impudent boy's rejection of his generous offer and summoned a crackling green and red shroud to his claw. The energy and growl were replaced by a deafening scream of pain as he jerked forward. A furious Him and stunned Eddy turned to see that the attack was dealt out by a worse for wear Courage, paws steaming by mystic blue energy.

After watching the demonic being fight, he knew that Bless would have a profound effect, despite his lack of energy. The now thoroughly raving Him lifted his claw once more, only to hear a sharp blast and blow to his face, sending him skidding across pavement. During Courage's attack, Buttercup had managed to summon enough energy to blast her attackers away and send herself and fist at Him. Once the wicked being recovered, he saw nothing but a shrinking green blur carrying a sizable load and a quickly disappearing dust cloud, which he assumed was the speeding goat.

_**Well, **_he said as he popped his chin back in place with a truly sickening crack _**I think that went over rather well. **___

(-x-)

"Quiet!" Fran said in a hushed voice as yet another patrol passed them

Ever since their escape none fifteen minutes ago, the entire city was on high alert, scanning every nook and cranny for the five escaped fugitives. After another enormous search light passed, the three studious members sighed in relief.

"Well that was close." Eddward said, gripping his still racing chest

"No kidding. How're we even gonna find an escape with the whole city after us?" Otto easily voiced his concern

"Well, I say _I _should be leading this here party." he then pointed an accusing finger dangerously close to Fran's person "_This _little missy's been leading us down allys to nowhere!"

"An' if you led us, we'd be back n' jail, if not worse!" Fran rebutted

Larry sighed as another fight escalated and proceeded to end it with a pinch of his metallic fingers. Hushed yelps and grimaces were muttered along with piercing cold stares. Larry then proceeded to ignore them, returning back to his crouched position.

"Tuddrussel's right, Fran." Edd piped "We can't simply avoid the city patrols forever. And we don't even know where to begin to find a way off this wretched future."

"That's easy." Larry said nonchalantly "I've modified my temporal systems to take us all back to where we're suppose to be. The only problem is that I don't have enough energy because _someone _interrupted my recharge to make him a cheeseburger!"

"Hey, I don't see why you're so upset, it wasn't even that good." the captain said dismissingly

"Great, so we need ta find some sort of 'Recharge Station'." Fran rolled her eyes at the inconvenience

Suddenly, there was a noise. Someone had found them and Fran was going to make sure that they didn't live to tell anyone. She and Tuddrussel both leapt forward and took down the intruders, weapons ready to fire.

"Wait, wait! Don't shoot!"

Fran's blade stopped mere millimeters from the robot's neck. She slowly released her grip on the machine and allowed it to stand, appearing as a tall, lanky, spike ridden robot with yellow finish and yellow green eyes.

"Hey, ya mind, I don't know, getting off me?"

Tuddrussel cautiously retreated and allowed the second robot to raise. They were exceptionally wider than their friend with blue finish and yellow eyes. This robot wore a very annoyed expression and folded its arm. Fran groaned. She'd recognize the condescending posture anywhere. _Great. Robot teenagers. _

"Who are you?" Double D asked

"Um I'm Thrasher and this is Blastus-" "Don't tell 'em our names!" the larger robot said, frailing his arms about. "Their dangerous criminals. For all we know they'll tie us up and throw us to the fire sharks. Or worse, they're vampires and suck our coolant. Or even worse, they're here to steal my Brittney Shears albums!"

Thrasher groaned "First off, no one wants your albums. Second, I'm pretty sure their not vampires. And three, if they were dangerous criminals they'd of killed us already."

"Exactly. Their just trying to draw it out. Well I, for one, aren't about to just sit here and take it. Feel my Pain Balls!" Blastus said as a cavity opened from his chest.

The group flinched and Double D attempted to deploy his shield but stopped when he and the others realized that his Pain Balls were simply rubber balls. They bounced harmlessly off their bodies and Tuddrussel and Fran gave annoyed looks.

"Great, robot dorks." Fran said as she rolled her eyes again

"Hey, I'm not a dork! I have over two hundred friend on Squeaker." He said proudly

"Yeah and you've met all but one of 'em. Me." Thrasher quipped, quick to cut his confidence down

"Yeah, yeah. Your social life is real important and junk. Mind telling us why we shouldn't cut ya open right now?" Fran asked, setting her blade aglow.

"I say we just get rid of 'em now." Tuddrussel was already in the two's face, blaster lighting up with burning energy.

"Wait, wait! We can get you to the Recharge Station!" Thrasher was quick to bring up what he knew was the only thing keeping them alive

"What? Are you crazy! You want to _help _the dangerous criminals now?" Blastus shouted

"For the last time, they aren't dangerous. Besides, think of what this would do to your reputation." he said slyly

"Well, chicks _do _dig bad boys." Blastus said thoughtfully "…Fine. But I still don't like it."

With that, the group of now seven made their way onto the streets. Surprisingly, this area was devoid of activity, a searchlight nowhere to be found. Not that they were complaining. As they made their way towards the station, they were able to get more insight on their newly fond allies. They learned that they were, indeed, nerds that were far less threatening and homicidal than the rest of the inhabitants and were indeed at the very bottom of the social ladder.

They learned that Thrasher was, as expected, the smarted of the two while Blastus was far more impulsive and desperately in need of popularity. Being teenagers, Fran had to fight her hardwired instinct to throttle them, but was finding Thrasher to be a welcomed addition despite his obnoxious friend. If anything, he drove her more insane than any idiot she'd ever met. But she kept her cool, focusing on the Recharge Station.

Double D was having a rather pleasant conversation with Blastus, if a bit Ed-worthy, when suddenly a large explosion caught their attention. A dozens patrol choppers and cruisers zoomed in the immediate direction, sent back seconds later in scarped pieces. Larry hid behind Tuddrussel and Double D fought to maintain his already shaking footing. Fran and Tuddrussel prepared themselves as a steady click-clanking went out through the smoke. As the figure came into view, Thrasher and Blastus finally remembered why they were in the alleyway in the first place.

The figure, now free of the smoke, took the form of a small, thistle, mechanical infant with a red bow tied on her head. It was an infant robot, but it's eyes and razor sharp teeth suggested that it was nothing less than the very spawn of rage.

"I completely forgot we were looking for Maimy." Thrasher groaned as he face slapped himself

"Maimy?" Double D asked terrified

"My baby sister. She got out after I forgot to give her a nap. Now she's cranky." The sentence was followed shortly by a loud crack as the robotic infant picked up a car and chucked it into a building, the resulting explosion setting it on fire.

"You call that _cranky?" _Otto exclaimed from behind Tuddrussel

"Well then, we better put her down fer her nap." the commanding officer loaded his blaster and charged at the robot with a warcry

A dozen shots escaped his blaster in seconds, all of which were reflected off of the infant's smooth body. Maimy shrieked in anger at the assult and sprouted a quartet of clawed, mechanical extensions which rammed into Tuddrussel, sending him flying. Fran used the moment as distraction and attacked with a rapid fire oforange energy, proving ineffective as she was sent hurling by a whip-like arm. The mechanized toddler set its sights on the sock wearing lad and proceeded to unravel a three foot long photon cannon from her chest.

"Good Lord!" was all he could say before blocking the incoming green beam with his Riter.

The sheer force sent him tumbling, skidding backwards into a heap. Groaning, he looked up to see a steel hammer lowering towards him. Rolling with a scream, he leapt to his feet and started to run erratically as he dodged hammers, lasers, bombs, and bladed claws. Fran emerged from her self-made crater and made a dash for the girl but she quickly dodged, sending a flurry of blades from her arms. The red head worked tirelessly to block all of them, tossing up Yield at various intervals to allow herself some space.

Tuddrussel charged again, blaster firing in machine gun fashion. Again, the mass of tentecles came but this time he dodged them, continuing his barrage of fire. Hissing in annoyance, the robot scurried to the left and reached under a small kiosk, yanking it clean off the ground. With a cyber growl, she tossed it at highway speeds at the bulked up captain, sending him crashing into a building.

Fran, having found enough distance between her and the murderous super infant, summoned a spell to her blade. Slowly, a glow built up until a beam of energy was sent rocketing towards Maimy. The blast caught her off guard, sending her flying into a comic book shop. Said shop than exploded as literally dozens of missiles shot up and rained down in firework fashion upon the girl.

"Trigis!"

Suddenly a pyramid of blue energy surrounded her just as the hailstorm of fire peppered down. When it was finished, Fran was still standing. Panting from exhaustion, but still standing. The amount of energy spent on this spell was three times that used on Yield. Using it always left her feeling winded, especially after an attack like that. She was about to drop it when several sharp claws started banging against the glass-like energy. Maimy screamed, all her attention and rage focused on the girl who'd hurled her into the store. Fran started to sweat and her breath was becoming ragged as she struggled to maintain the defensive spell against the relentless assault.

"If this keeps up much longer…" Fran mused as her sanctuary shook violently

"Energy Waver: Shock!"

The robotic girl screamed in agony as a wave of electrified energy crashed into her, short circuiting her programming and motor functions. Fran tiredly looked at her savior: a very exhausted Double D with his hand still smoking from the previous blast. To his credit, Double D was doing quite well, despite the fact that his energy reserves were nearing their limit. Once again, a primal scream revealed that the infant was still up and running. Double D briefly abandoned his staff and placed both hands together in anime fashion.

"Energy Waver: Flash!"

A flash of blinding light escaped Double D's palms and slammed into the robot's chassis, sending her flying backwards. But this time, she released a tendril which caught the exhausted Ed in the midsection, sending him into the ground. Fran, herself exhausted, looked at the robot, which showed no signs of slowly down. As she looked her enemy in the eyes, she found that they were surprisingly…drifting. Fran face-palmed herself.

"I've been goin' about this all 'rong." she stated and slowly walked to the infant

She hissed and sent a multitude of claws at her, but the girl didn't flinch, allowing them to simply pass by her. Confused, Maimy transformed her forearms into lasers and trained her sights on the girl. Fran smiled and then, once she was in front of her, gingerly picked her up. Maimy fought viciously, trying to free herself from the girl clutches but Fran held tight.

"Shhh. Quiet down, dear. Your' just cranky, aren't you?" she said in a hushed and sweet voice "It's okay, you can settle down."

Slowly, the infant's struggles settled and Fran slowly rocked her in her cradled arms, humming a lullaby. Soon, her eyes became heavy and she yawned widely before curling up and sucking her thumb, snoring softly.

"Unbelievable." Thrasher said as he, Larry, Otto, and Blastus ventured from their hiding place

"My, Fran, I've never guess you of the mothering type." Double D smiled as Fran continued to rock the baby in her arms.

Suddenly, she glowed fiercely bright, shooting into orbit around Fran's wrist. When the blinding display ended, the girl found herself with a charm with the infant's face in her possession.

"I didn't know babies could do that." Blastus said as he eagerly peered over Fran's shoulders

"What're you lot starin' at? We've got a Recharge Station ta get to!" she hollered, her commanding personality back with a vengence

The group made it to the station a few minutes prior and found a formidable amount of security. At least, it would have been if not for the well rested summons that Fran promptly sicced on them. A mess of coolant, oil, scattered limbs and weapons later, they found themselves standing before the static probing coil. Larry quickly plugged himself in and within seconds, his battery was recharged and revving to go.

"Hey, Fran." Thrasher said to get the red head's attention "Take care of my sister."

Fran nodded and she and her company waved good-bye to their new friends before disappearing in a flash of light.

(-x-)

Johnny blocked a downward slash and returned with a stab which was side stepped and followed by a thrust which was parried. The battle between him and Dark Ace seemed to be going in this pattern for a while now, each not gaining much ground on the other. Johnny was nimble and light on his feet while Dark Ace was pure brute force. The captain summoned a flurry of vines, which the general twinned into burning cinders. He heaved his blade into an arc and sent in crashing towards the boy's head. Johnny back flipped and landed several paces away, panting.

He slammed his staff into the ground, which cracked and split into a growing fissure racing towards Ace. The man smiled and set his blade ablaze with crimson energy. That energy soon turned to fire the moment it hit the earth, filling the fissure and tunneling towards the caster. Johnny retreated quickly and twirled his staff, sending a wave of water, dousing the flames.

"You're pretty good, kid." Dark Ace said smugly "Maybe you might be some fun after all."

"You're not half bad either." Johnny replied "Maybe if I give a minute, you might actually hit me."

The joke had quickly soured Ace's mood, causing a screaming mix of steel, crimson, and Ace to hurl towards him at break-neck speeds. He blocked and an explosion of crimson energy shook the area. Before it settled, two figure escaped the cloud, landing on opposite rock faces. Johnny was starting to feel the onset of fatigue while Ace was appearing worse for wear. The smile on Ace's face grew and he swipe his blade, an array of crimson needles flying at the boy. Johnny quickly summoned a pillar of earth and shot himself skyward.

He outstretched his staff and twirled, ice crystals instead of water droplets collecting. Soon, a burst of icy wind was sent rushing towards and over Ace, tiny crystals slashing at his attire and sending him tumbling backwards. Yet to be bested, he stabbed his sword into the ground and it glowed a sinister crimson orange. From the ground sprouted a eight claws hands, ripping through the storm and racing towards Johnny. He ceased twirling and stiffened the staff forward, directly at the attack. The spear bloomed to reveal Plank, his smiling face glowing a magnificent yellow green before a wall of flowers appeared impeding the claws path.

The shield held and then, with a pulse, sent the attack back to the ground. Ace saw the attack coming and smiled. Lifting his blade, he allowed the attack to hit, the steel weapon absorbing the attack. Once it finished, it glowed a menacing dark vermillion.

"Dark Recoil!"

With a broad smile, Ace sent the equivalent of not twice but thrice his previous spell at Johnny. The shield stood no chance and Johnny was rended by the merciless swarm of dark energy. He fell from the sky, thoroughly beaten, but far from defeated. Aiming carefully, he fired a thin beam of energy that shot towards Dark Ace and wrapped around his arms and torso. Falling to the ground, Johnny activated the spell and Dark Ace screamed. The beam rippled and pulsed as it feed Ace's energy to Johnny, draining him of his power and strength, revitalizing him in the process.

Ace's scream pitched loudly as he burst from his bonds, panting and sweating as Johnny dispelled the beam. The two stared at each briefly, waiting to see who'd make the next move.

"I misspoke." Johnny quirked his brow at the Ace's words "I've definitely found myself a new playmate. Whaddaya say we play some more?"

The sadistic look in his red eyes flared as he leapt at the captain, swinging for his head. Johnny ducked and swung, catching the back of Ace's blade. Groaning in frustration, he leapt over a horizontal swipe and he found himself jabbing and parrying the Ace's blows. The fight would have continued this way had it not been for the sudden flash that appeared between the two. They both skidded away, the flash exploded then dissipating, leaving the forms of Fran And Double D.

"Fran! Double D!" Johnny exclaimed as he rushed towards his subordinates

Fran quickly scanned the area and found Ace, high atop a rock face with a dissatisfied look.

"What's wrong?" she asked "The high-and-mighty general scared to fight?"

"Hmp. I want to fight Johnny, not you two weaklings." Ace explained with a sigh "Still, you two did make it back in record time. So you can't be that pathetic. One day I might even consider you a threat."

With that, he descended from the rock face, landed in the seat of his passing Skimmer before jetting off.

"Fran! I was so worried about you!" Johnny said as he took Fran into a tight embrace

Fran was at a loss for words. Her face was redder than a tomato and her heart was literal beating it's way of it her chest. Her mind went blank with bliss and her body shudder ever so slightly at his touch. For that brief moment, Fran had entered nirvana.

"Um, Johnny? I'm here as well." Double D piped in

Johnny soon released his grip and went over to thank his friend of his safe return. Fran, however, shot him an evil stare, displeased that the gesture had ended so quickly.

(-x-)

"Adjust the rear position…stabilize the thermostat…mount the cup holders…and done! She's finished!"

Flapjack, Finn, and even Knuckles were taken back in awe. With a few parts from old, abandoned ships and a few trips to the hardware store, the Inventor's Brother had turned their small, compact ship into a hulking behemoth. The overall design was sleek with masks and sails and various decks for various purposes. A large, glass dome hovered underneath the hull, crackling with electric energy. Colored in a mismatched fashion of red, blue, and silver the _S.S. Stormalong _was ready to set sail in the sky.

"Alright," Knuckles groaned "how much is this gunna cost us?"

"Nothing at all." the man's response had caught them all off guard "I simply ask to travel with you, to act as your mechanical engineer should anything go awry, which I assure it won't."

"That seems fair." Flap said and glanced at his new bracelet

On it was a peculiar, whale shaped charm, which he had acquired while their ship was being fixed. With his dear Bubby now close to him, he felt more than able to tackle anything these unexplored worlds could throw at them.

"Shall we depart?" the man said, practically bursting with joy knowing he'd be able to fly in his own flying contraption

As they boarded and made their merry way about the ship, Finn sat on a crate, pondering. He still had no real idea what he was doing here, what his purpose was for even coming with these guys. And while he thought, his mind drifted to the memory of the mysterious Undergrounder who'd saved him. If they were the enemy and as evil as he heard, than they wouldn't have saved him. It plagued his mind for what seemed like hours that it took the ship to slowly lift off. _I gotta find out about this Underground guy…wait._ It hit him like a mountain troll.

Jumping up from his crate, he quickly climbed the ship until he made his way to the wheel, snatching it from Knuckles and jerking it into a sharp right turn. Knuckles yelled his head off at him but he didn't care. He knew what his purpose was now. He had to find out about that Underground guy and to do that, he needed someone high up in the ranks and he knew just where to find them. _Next stop: The Candy Kingdom! _Finn thought as the ship whirled through the sky at high speeds.

**Author's Notes: **First off, I wanna say this to all you readers out there who might complain about the lenght: DON'T COMPLAIN! I've been gone for awhile and this chapter pretty much just came to this lenght. If you get tired of reading it, then stop and pick up later or don't read at all. With that out of the way, let's get to the actual story.

Hurray! Finn and crew are back! And are the stars of the next chapter. Sorry if their parts are a bit rushed but I just needed to include them. From what you can tell, it's sure to be quite interesting. NExt item on the agenda, BAM! Time Squad, Robotomy, _and _Destroy, Build, Destroy in a single package. Yes, I think the host is stupid enough to actually use something like NTW and you might see again in the future. Him gets a make over in a manily way and he's much more powerful than his previous form and remember: he was just toying with them. Juniper Lee's been introduced as well as my friend's OC jenavene, the one of only two OCs. And Fran gets a new summons. Yep that about covers it.

Also, if you read carefully, you'll find a ton of hidden innuendo. Props to who ever can find them! I've also updated my home page so you can see all the spells, characters, and abilities used in the story: Thanks to the handy, dandy Enchiridion. So, until next time: R&R and TTFN!


	9. Venturing New Worlds

**Author's Notes: **Arrgghh! Two whole friggin' monthes! Geez, what's wrong with me! ...Okay, I'm better now. Before you is the latest adventure of Cartoon Underground, in which our heros Finn, Flapjack, and Knuckles come face-to-face with the first major villian attack and two new antagonist get introduced and sentenced to the next chapter. Action and dailouge glore this chapter. R&R! Pretty please?

Cartoon Underground

Chapter 9: Venturing New Worlds

"Whew, that was a close one." Eddy sighed as his mount disappeared back into his chain.

A lime green blur suddenly manifested over the horizon and landed with a jolting shock in front of the Ed, revealing a very upset Buttercup. Instinctively, Courage backed away from the girl, wary of her snappish temperament. Her green orbs bored into the lad's own, causing him to flinch uncontrollably. Whatever she was about to say, it had nothing to do with her rescued classmates.

"Eddy, do you have any idea how STUPID YOU WERE BACK THERE?" the roaring power puff's voice nearly toppled Eddy over

"What's he big deal? I handled him, didn't I?" Eddy shot back, confused of the girl's evident rage

"THIS TIME!" Hearing her own voice shake the very windows, she lowered herself slightly "Eddy, Him's gotten so much stronger since I last fought him and I know he was just toying with you. Sure you caught him off guard this time but next time, he won't go easy on you, trust."

The girl's gaze shifted downwards and her fists clenched green fabric "If you had gotten hurt, or crippled or worse…I just…I just…"

The short lad cocked his head in confusion as he heard and saw the first hints of vulnerability from the powerhouse since he'd met her. And he didn't much care for it. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to call upon the advice of his annoying yet sensitive sock-wearing friend.

"But I didn't." The sight of soft, green orbs visibly shook his resolve "I'm still here, aren't I? So His Infernal Majesty roughed me up a bit, big whoop. He's just lucky that today he caught us by surprise. I'd like at see that lawn gnome try and get the jump on us again!"

Eddy finished the speech with a punch to his palm and a confident smirk. It was all that was needed to shake the girl out of her temporary funk. The softness in her eyes fled as fiery determination flared within once more. Courage was also smiling, happy that the short lad had managed to comfort the girl.

"Heh, yeah. As if the guy could take us now." she said and playfully punched Eddy's arm. Of course said punch also left it feeling even more sore than it already was, but he bit his tongue and braced himself as they zoomed off over the horizon at super sonic speeds.

(-x-)

The night sky was quiet. Nothing, not even the smallest insect dared to disturb the peaceful slumbering of the nocturnal land. Slowly, the sun peaked over the skyline, bathing it rich rays of golden purity. As it steadily rose higher and higher, certain tree dwelling residents could spot a glimmer of sun refracting off in the distance. Most would dismiss it as nothing but one thought it more that. That it…moving.

A large airship with the words '_S.S. Stormalong' _engraved on its side veered over ice caped mountain tops, gliding into the visage of a vast field of green. From behind the helm, a boy wearing a white hat smiled fondly at the landscape before harding to port and dipping just into cloud cover. Finn could honestly say that he'd never been so glad to see home as he'd been at that moment. Behind him on either side, an eager Flapjack danced in his seat while Knuckles snoozed away with his bottle gripped firmly in his claws.

"Are we there yet?" Flap asked for the umpteenth time

Finn bared himself from speaking as he smiled at the boy and lowered the ship completely through the clouds. Once out of the fluffy whiteness, Flapjack's jaw hit the floor and his eyes glazed over. As if sensing his young protégé's reaction, the captain jarred himself from his sleep.

"Who? What! Wherahhhhh…" the man was at a loss for words.

Before them was a kingdom that glistened in the morning, brilliant crystal blinding all in their path. Tall towers of red and white and various homes and businesses decorated in a variety of colors and textures. Giant statues of gumball machines stood at stalwart attention, beady eyes seemingly shifting from side to side. But what made it so jaw-dropping was the fact that it was made of a single substance: candy.

"Welcome to the Candy Kingdom, guys." Finn said with a gesturing of his hand

The two took a few moments to let the very thought sink in before the captain was on the teen's shoulder's bouncing up and down giddily.

"Setusdown, setusdown!" the man's excitement had blended his words together into barely understood chucks but his excitement was justified for someone who had spent the better half of their life looking for an island of confectioned sweets. A kingdom beats an island anyday!

The adventurer would've complained if not for his own joy at being able to see one of his favorite places in all of Ooo. A swoop of the wheel was all it took to send the craft into a low, graceful dive, sending them towards the cobblestone grounds. Of course once they were on ground, Knuckles couldn't get out fast enough with younger lad close behind.

"I'd best stay here. Check on the gears, anti-gravations sphere, and whatnot." I.B said before descending back into his quarters.

Finn shrugged and walked outside. There, he found Knuckles and Flapjack gawking at the sights around them. Finn smiled, remembering his own first visit to kingdom. Of course, he took it upon himself to guide the two as they started towards the grand palace in the very center of the kingdom. The candy people weren't up yet, so he was free to inform without much distraction.

"So where's the candy? Huh, huh? Where is it?" Knuckles asked, mouth dripping drool over the promise of sugary sweets.

"Everything's candy. The street lamps are licorice, the house's are gingerbread, and the sidewalk's peanut brittle…Or maybe it's chocolate?" Finn mused

The two had stopped listening the moment the words 'candy' left his mouth and had started to devour everything in their immediate vicinity. The blond adventurer was munching on the ground, taking out chucks of the crispy pavement while the blue faced man was tearing apart a streetlamp with his bare hands and shoveling entire sections into his maw. Finn opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as the two continued their ravenousness rampage. The yellow band on his finger suddenly glowed and a long tube of fur extended from it, melding into the form of Jake.

"You do know this is bad, right?" the dog declared at the growing destruction

"Um…no problem." the boy reached onto his back and pulled out his sword "We stopped Susan, right? How hard could these guys be?"

(-x-)

The morning rays of the sun dawned over a vast horizon, the wooden aircraft zooming over the distance. The blue crackles of electricity from trans-dimensional transposition faded as it gained distance from the rapidly closing vortex. Inside, Hoagie sighed as he finally relaxed his grip on the controls, now free from fear of accidentally ramming themselves off course.

"Geez, I hate Warp Drive." a now fluffy Odd stated as he stared to smooth out his fur

"Again." Clam said happily as he felt the tingling of the warp still dancing on his skin

Ed would've said that, but he was currently knocked out on the sofa, snoring lightly. It was said that the Warp Drive had various effects on individuals so what one experience's another might not. So Ed happened to be one of those few who peacefully lost consciousness the moment they entered the vortex. Jenavene, on the hand, was feeling as though a half ton of brick had just been thrown on top of and then cemented on her now aching back.

"I really hate those varying spatial discomforts." the girl declared as she cracked her spine "You'd think those geniuses over in R&R would come up with some kind of counter for it by now."

"I'm just glad it doesn't really affect me at all." Numbah 2 smiled

Seeing as he was the pilot, it really was a stroke of luck that he didn't suffer any adverse effects from the spatial shortcut. A beeping light confirmed that the navigational instruments had reconfigured themselves to the new settings. A look out the window confirmed their location: Atmos, World of a Thousand Mountain Top Kingdoms.

Unlike the other nations, it existed in a different dimension that inhabited the same space of earth but with a radically different geology. As its name suggested, the world was filled to the brim with broken land masses of various sizes called Terras that hovered thousands of feet in the air by some unseen force. It was here that the CN discovered the wondrous miracle that was the crystals and had come to know the powerful Cyclonia empire. Of course, that was piece of history that was better forgotten.

"So, where is this Terra Nocturne supposed to be anyway?" Odd inquired, his fur now somewhat tamed

Jen walked into the middle of the room and accessed a panel that had made itself known with a wave of her hand. The girl then started keying in several commands before a green hologram suddenly sprang to life in front of her, becoming a map of Atmos.

"The Terra's here: just a short way's flight with little, if any, air traffic." the girl explained

"Great. Sounds like it'll be a 'get-it-and-go' type mission." Odd said hopefully as he smoothed out his fur, only to have it puff back out

"Actually, there's two snags: First, the Terra's positioned at a point in the world's axis that stays constantly in the dark and makes flying through the region about as easy as trying to find a black needle in the dark."

"Great. What's next: Giant flying dragons?" Odd said sarcastically as he continued to work on his fur

"No, no dragons…Just Phoenixes." her voice displayed a bit a innocence as she attempted to make a bleak situation appear not so much so. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

"Phoenixes? As in 'On-and-can-breath-fire-and-arise-from-their-ashes' phoenixes?" Hoagie asked with a worried tone, his mind inching his hand nervously off course

"Aannnddd, its kinda in Cyclonian territory and home to an experimental weapons base that's working to create a cannon that'll be able to destroy entire cities in a single shot, but there's no real need to worry." It was the sheer nonchalantness of her tone that made the males in the craft (excluding a sleeping Ed) go into a frenzy.

"Are you nuts! You call flying blind into a Terra filled with phoenixes and death rays no need to worry!" Odd was griping his head, his claws threatening to tear through his scalp

"Bad! Very Bad!" Clam exclaimed, pacing back and forward

"Zzz…Chickens…." Ed snored

"Look, we need the Virtra Crystal and that's the only way we're going get it." Jenavene's voice suddenly became serious "In case you've forgotten, we're at war. We don't have time to pick and choose what we want and don't want to do. As soldiers, it is our duty to do what the situation demands."

"Um, excuse me, but since when are you a solder?" danced on the half-cat's tongue but the black aura eradiating from her form hinted for him to keep his mouth shut.

Hoagie also wanted to add his piece to the conversation, but was startled by the rapid beeping of the monitor as the nav-unit sprung a conniption. The plump pilot fiddled with the controls before all reading and bearings flat-lined. Then, there was darkness.

Hoagie wrestled with his limbs as they voted to veer in every which direction in order to find some traces of light. All navigational functions were shot and the head lights were barely able to pierce the thick veil of ebony. Odd had started to adjust to the darkened environment, his eyes slowly bringing into focus the shrouded world, only for two words to escape his lips.

"INCMOING!"

Well, one anyway. Hoagie obeyed and jerked to the right, a red bolt of energy just missing their wing. Hoagie tapped his goggles and the world became tinted in various shades of green. Night-vision goggles; don't leave port without them. He jerked left and avoided another missile aimed at the wings. Tiny dots of emrald came booming into view and the pilot smiled, flicking up the knobs on his steering to reveal red buttons. His thumbs slammed down and a splay of bullet fire came bursting out of twin cannons mounted beneath the wings.

"I thought you said this thing didn't have any weapons!" Odd yelled, trying to stand upright despite the constant jerking around

"I only said that so you wouldn't waste ammo!" Hoagie cried, destroying dozens of would-be energy blasts

Hoagie tipped to the side and engaged thrusters, sending the ship into a sharp dive as they started to barrel towards their target. The Terra was coming in fast, violet tinted trees and plants covering a vast forested area. Just as he was about to unleash another salvo…

RUMBLE!

Hoagie suddenly released the controls and slowly placed his palms on his stomach. Another crackling rumble made him shoot up from the seat and make a dash for a certain room.

"BATHROOM!"

The door slammed tight and a small 'Do Not Disturb' sign hung from the doorknob. Jen face palmed herself.

"Great. He would have a delayed reaction." she groaned

Everyone in the room suddenly stood alert as the ship rumbled and dipped. They were falling. And fast. They panicked, trying to come up with a plan on how to not crash into the ground when a blur of green appeared in the pilot seat.

"Let's fly!" Ed said with a dopy grin and eased forward on the control, sending them into an even faster dive

"Oh Math." Everyone in the room mumbled

(-x-)

Princess bubblegum liked mornings. The sight of the early rays catching the glass of the Gumball Guardians made the whole kingdom sparkle. So, as usual, she was out of bed before the rest of the kingdom and enjoying a mug of hot chocolate while going over her notes, a joyful look in her eyes. These were the moments she enjoyed the most, when she could simply kick back and relax in her favorite heavy metal shirt and a good weekends research.

_Pound. Pound. Pound._

_Odd, _the bubblegum maiden thought as she sat down her chocolate _no one should be up at this hour. _She thought she had more time to enjoy her morning; her subjects wouldn't be up for another half hour. Pulling her morning robe tight to conceal the death metal fabric, she made her way to the front entrance and slowly answered the door.

"My goodness!"

Before her was her trusted friend and sometimes advisor Finn the Human and his companion Jake the Dog with two strangers. This sight wouldn't have caused such alarm if not for the fact that they were bruised and beaten with Finn holding the blue-faced man in a headlock while Jake kept his arms securely warped around a sleeping, yet peaceful, blond haired lad.

"Morning, Princess." Finn's face had it's usual ignorant smile and cheerful tone "Can we come in?"

"Finn! What happened to you?" the candy princess demanded as she saw them inside

"Hehe…well that's kinda a funny story…" Finn said nervously

_Finn was pacing down yet the seventh street, legs beginning to feel tired and heavy from chasing his two hyper-active companions. The presence of sugar had seemed to spike their bodies abilities into overdrive as they were now tearing through the streets with complete ease, large sections of property gone with only the impression of bite marks left behind._

"_Geez, don't these guys ever slow down?" Finn asked as he banked down another corner_

"_That's rich comin' from the 'none-stop-energy-man' himself." Jake said with a chuckle, his legs now formed into those of an Olympic sprinter._

"_Aaahhh!"_

"_Aw, man!" Finn shouted and dashed down the street_

_There, to his horror, Knuckles and Flapjack were both trying to eat Starchy. The mustached denizen was crying out in pain as their jaws started cracking into his candy form. Digging a foot hold, the human leapt down the street and forced the man off the poor candy folk. Flapjack continued to try and devour the man but his efforts were thwarted as Jake's lasso arm tugged him loose._

_Shouting in anger, Flapjack pried from the canine's grip with his sugar enhanced strength and with a flash of light, Sweet justice appeared in his hands. _

"_Oh crease." Jake muttered before molding away from a strike _

_Finn and Knuckles hit the ground rolling and the captain skidded across confectioned pavement, landing on all fours. With a near primal growl, he dashed at Finn, head lowered like a charging bull. The boy expertly dodged it and gripped his hat, flipping him over his shoulder. The man landed bipedal and un-holstered Captain's Law. A loud shot reverberated from the barrel as the bullet was sent whizzing for Finn's mid-section. _

_TWANGZ!_

_A quick placement of his sword deflected the bullet, ricocheting it into a nearby street sign. A trio of ear blistering shots shot forward and Finn's instincts were thrown into over-drive as he parried the torrent of fire. _

_Jake was fairing no better, his body arching away from another strike. The candy striped Riter was lashing out in every direction, causing him to flex and bend his body in various ways simply to avoid damage. Thinking quick, he molded both hands together and formed a cup, slamming the cylinder on top of the boy._

_He sighed in relief, happy knowing the fight was over. Suddenly, a dull tingling from his cupped hands caught his attention. Soon it intensified and he felt his limbs shaking and sensation as thought they were…twisting. His hands then started to move, swirling faster and faster until finally his entire body was caught in the vortex and was sent into a dizzying revolution before being tossed into a bookstore._

_A small, red and white tornado slowed, revealing a still sugar crazed Flapjack. _

"_Man, I think my mitts just got twisted." Jake groaned as he relieved himself of a large pile of books_

_The sight of ripping, peppermint tornado made him jerk to the side, arms molding into grappling hooks as he flung himself out the ruined store, paperbacks whizzing past him. The twister emerged again, this time Jake avoiding by elongating his legs and spreading them apart. The bundle whooshed neat between him and he sighed, glad that he had managed to dodge the attack. He whirled and prepared for another twister when it suddenly lost strength and fell just short of him, fizzling out to a now thoroughly dizzy Flapjack who stumbled about before falling flat on his back, asleep._

_Finn reflected another bullet and ducked another before rushing the captain, taking him to ground. The man's growl was animalistic and he slammed his gun into the side of the boy's head, stunning him briefly. He recovered quickly and nailed him in the nose with a right hook. A furious exchange of blows commenced which ended with the Captain pulled into a tight head lock. Struggling but now thoroughly under control, the duo dragged their catches towards PB's Castle._

"…And that's about it." Finn ended his anecdote and socked Knuckles in the head as he tried to pry from his grip

"I see. Seems as though they suffered from some hybrid form of Candy Rot and Sugar Rush. This warrants some further study." the princess said as she jotted down notes

They were currently sitting in Bubblegum's scientific quarters, the room filled with beakers, tubs, and other things of a scientific nature. The duo had decided, after several minutes of pinning them down, that their friends were calm enough to let loose. Flapjack roused from his sleep with a smile while Knuckles shook his head and stared at the candy maiden.

"Candy!" he shouted and dashed for the princess

CRACK! SMASH! WHUMP!

The trio stared wide-eyed as Knuckles grimaced in pain as his arm was held behind his back and his face beaten with a pink fist. The princess then released him, giving her friends a sheepish smile.

"I learned a few self-defense techniques from Karate Princess." the teen replied while rubbing her arm

Finn's cheeks turned rouge before he shook his head, regaining his composure.

"Princess, I need to ask you something." the human started

"What is it Finn?" PB asked curiously

"I'm, um, me and Jake, uh," Finn found that his words were being fumbled nervously "Princess…have…you ever…ya know…met an Undergrounder whose…I dunno…nice?"

The candy teen stared at him with a blank expression, as if he had just asked her to fly and spit fire. "Of course I've met nice members of the Underground."

"Really?" Finn and Flap asked in sync, curiosity piqued

"Mm hm." she replied and sipped her hot drink "I met a few when I went into New Metropolis to discuss my findings on Sugar Crystals. I'll admit, I was little frightened of them at first, but it turns out that they possess some very keen minds. I must've spent hours in that tavern just conversing, laughing, and singing."

The teen's face gave a bright smile as she dwelled on fond memories of her past exploits. The smile then turned sad as her eyes softened considerably

"Unfortunately, they were wanted by Cyclonis and when they resisted arrest were jailed for their crimes. I tried my best and hardest to at least reduce their sentence, but the council was not swayed by my words and they were locked away in Cryo-Stasis." A small tear ran down her cheek, an embroidered cloth quickly doing away with it "I've been trying to help improve relations between the Underground and New Metropolis…but, then the war started…and…"

Even Knuckles, who wasn't known for his subtly with emotional affairs, knew the boy had hit a rather sensitive nerve. The bubblegum princess was gripping her handkerchief tightly, trying to wipe the hot tears from her eyes. Finn's curiosity waned at the sight of this. He absolutely hated to see PB like this, yet his curiosity refused to die.

"Have you ever met one with a green and white shirt, some sandals, a staff with a wooden board inside-"

"And half a melon on his head?" now and was the Princess's turn to be curious

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Finn asked

"Because he's one of the Undergrounders I met…" her voice instantly perked up, a smile on her face "That means they weren't put in Cryo-Stasis! Not only that, but the fact that he saved you means he still believes we can co-exist just like I do!" She sprang from her seat and embraced the cap wearing teen into a hug

It was at this point that the lad started to hyperventilate, completely overwhelmed by the bod-on-bod contact that he was currently in. His face was beet red and his pulse had skyrocketed, his nervous system sputtering as she released him.

"This is great, no, fantastic news!" her feet carried her to a nearby shelf, her smile widen as she picked up a book "I can re-enact my plans for peace now! All I need to do is contact Johnny and we can bring our proposal to the counsel-"

BOOM!

The whole castle shook to its very foundations as powerful shockwaves rippled through the confectioned structure. PB lost her footing and fell forward into the stunned arms of the now near hysterical Finn. Having the princess in his arms not once but _twice _in a single day was becoming more than the young hero could handle.

CRACKOOM!

The sound of thundering explosions were trailed by the cacophony of a thousand breaking mirrors. Flapjack and Knuckles were completely lost as to what was going on, but that didn't matter to Finn and Jake. They'd saved the kingdom from far too many threats to let something like fear of the unknown stop them. With stalwart resolve, they quickly raced to the front doors.

(-x-)

Most would consider waking up to find one's utilities shut off to be a rude awakening. Getting scared poop-less and having to catch your breath after a fright was a rude awakening. Waking up to a blast of skin numbing cold; That was more than rude awakening. And such was the case all over the Candy kingdom, with the sweet citizens gentle snores getting way to brief yet horrified shrieks.

If they avoided such a fate, they'd awake to a sight of brilliant and magnificent crystal blue towering outside their windows, wisps of fog hissing from their monolithic forms. This awe was soon dashed when they realized that it was coming from their _homes. _

Then came the screams. The horrible, horrible screams as they panicked and ran heather and yon as they found their world being encased in freezing coffins of fridge ice.

The five figures at the castle's doorsteps looked out at the scene in pure mortification (well, at least Knuckles attempted to look mortified), the ruler covering her mouth to prevent her own screams from mingling in with the countless others.

"We have to do something!" Finn declared and whipped his sword from his pack

Flapjack mimicked his senior and brandished his Riter followed by a now irritated Knuckles.

"A whole kingdom of candy…and their freezing it! Do you have any idea how long it'll take for it ta thaw?" Knuckles had spent far too many years searching for the promised land of sweets to have some as-of-yet-nameless jerk come and freeze it all

"Please, Finn! Save the Candy Kingdom!" Knuckles and Jake gave pseudo coughs "Oh, yes. And Knuckles, Flapjack, and Jake."

With a nod, the quartet of warriors leapt down the steps and into the battle.

Finn landed with a roll and surveyed the area. He could see streams of blizzard and long spanning chasms of splintering ice sickles, but he couldn't see just where they were coming from.

ZTAWNG!

He didn't have to wait long to receive his answer. He and company dodged an elongated frozen blade as it narrowly avoided relieving their heads from their shoulders. They looked up to see a figure encased in what appeared to be white and black trimmed armor that was made in a way that it resembled ice, thin layers of the cold substance glimmering in the morning sun. On its arms were two long, impossible sharp swords, one of which was retracting back into place. A pair of forlorn eyes gazed from beneath the helmet, transmitting an eerie sense of fear.

"What is that thing?" Knuckles asked, cocking his Riter

Finn's eyes narrowed and Jake molded his hands into a sword and mace respectively "It's destroying the kingdom, so who care?"

With that remark, Finn charged at the enemy with his war cry and sent his blade crashing into its own. The two stared briefly at each other before engaging in a fast-paced exchange of swordsmanship. Jake had also started to fight another one of the enemy, flinging his weaponized limbs haphazardly while Flap was doing his best to avoid being punctured by the sharp blades. Knuckles was firing as fast as could, watching as his shots were deflected effortlessly off the dual blades.

Finn ducked a swipe and thrusted. The sword-wielder caught it with one blade and stabbed with another. The boy jumped in the air and delivered a roundhouse, which the swordsman blocked and countered with a swipe from face of its blade. The human intercepted with his foot and flipped forward, over his enemy, and slashed at his armor. The swordsman roared in as the blade cleaved flesh…over at least appeared to.

"What the…!" Finn exclaimed as he watched a mist of ink-like substance escape the wound

The 'man' wasn't down yet and used his distraction to put him on the receiving end of his icy boot.

"Finn!" Jake yelled and contorted his body away from a slashing swipe

The canine spun on his waist and twisted himself as tight as possible. Then, after a moment of straining, he released himself and willed his body to grow spikes, which extended and retracted at rapid pace. This obviously caught his opponent off guard as he feebly attempted to block the blows, but he failed to block them all and soon his body became a victim of acupuncture.

Flapjack, seeing Jake's opponent disappear in a clatter of black mist and ice, got an idea. Reaching into his mind, he tried to pull the memory of that spinning move. Parrying a blow, he felt something click in the back of his mind and he pushed his enemy away. Tightening his grip on Sweet Justice, he dug a foothold before rotating on the ball of his foot, sending himself into a dizzying spin. He suddenly jolted forward, a violent series of rotations sending his opponent skidding backwards before their blades shattered and they disappeared in the same way as their comrade.

Knuckles was now officially ticked off. The freaking sword...ice...armor...thing was blocking his bullets in near flawless succession. That was starting to get annoying. As his anger swelled with the enemy's constant defensive, he failed to notice his Riter was heating and radiating a faint crimson.

"Will you just get hit already?" Knuckles yelled in frustration

BANG!

The resulting shot sent thee captain's hand backwards with recoil, but the sudden drawback did little to advert his eyes, which beheld a glowing orb of seething heat. The projectile bore straight through the armored figure, which staggered slightly before flaking into a dark cloud.

"Wow! That was amazing, Cap'n!" the blonde haired lad giddily announced to his superior

"Yeah…It was wasn't it?" a smile couldn't help but cross his face

"Alright, guys. We still have plenty more to deal with." Finn stated urgently before the four rushed into battle once more

(-x-)

Sitting on top a hill far from the view of the Candy Kingdom, two figures watched over the town as it received its wintry makeover. Dainty yet harsh hands interlaced each other as the first figure, a young girl, stared at the ensuing chaos. Said girl was dressed in a haunting dark robe with flaring red inverse with the hood fastened over her head. A black gown-like shirt with vibrant pink edges laid inside the haunting garment with the robe connected with a skull with an elongated jaw. Her golden locks were styled in a crescent, giving them the appearance of horns.

"Hmm…" the girl muttered thoughtfully

"Oh, oh! Do you see all the snow, Mandy?" the second figure asked his friend

This figure was donning a brown furred vest under a white and blue shirt. He wore matching blue tan pants with a pair of brown furred boots. Furry gloves with metal knuckles wrapped around his right hand while a bandage snuggled the other. A horned helmet with metal band kept most but a small allotment of his orange hair. The young boy turned to his friend, watching her features give way to irritation. This was odd, for normally such features were reserved for when he was speaking to her.

"What's wrong, Mandy?" the boy asked, both curious and concerned

"…There would seem we've been met with resistance." she had her gazed narrowed, vision catching glimpses of when her troops were so effortlessly cut down

"Really? Does that mean me and Mjölnir get to have some fun?" the boy shouldered a large hammer, crackles of electricity sparks here and there.

"No, Billy…at least not yet." the girl proclaimed

Suddenly, she rose her hand high into the air and snapped her fingers. A loud, echoing was heard as burst of energy-charged air was sent rushing across the plains. Giving her handiwork a nod of approval, she stuck her hand out to the side. The long, flowing robe wrapped around her outstretched limb and snaked into the air. With a firm grasp, the cloth dissipated, leaving a long, deadly scythe in its wake.

"Come along, Billy." she ordered as she mounted the weapon side-saddled "We have evil to spread.'

"Oh boy!" Billy exclaimed as he took after Mandy while holding tight to Mjölnir

(-x-)

Finn dug his blade into the ground, using it to prop up his now thoroughly exhausted form. They must've been fighting for at least two hours non-stop. Flapjack was sitting on the ground attempting to catch his fleeting breath while Jake and Knuckles were half-conscience on the ground, completely spent. A crunching of footsteps alerted the human to another presence, the esteemed princess walking up to the hero in relief.

"Thank you, Finn, Flapjack, Jake, and Knuckles." she said and bowed gracefully "Without you, the Kingdom would surely be frozen over. We are indebted to you."

"Well, since ya _do _owe us…" Knuckles's eyes filled with greed, thinking of all the various sweets he could ask for

"Don't worry 'bout it, PB. We don't do it for the fame, we do it because we care." Finn interjected

Knuckles was about to reply with a very snide remark, but both Jake and Flapjack shushed him. The man grumbled under his breath, but otherwise, said nothing else. The candy maiden sighed in relief and then put a hand on her chin, thinking.

"Those creatures…they resemble the Kin Jenavene talked about." She stated, prompting a quartet of raised eyebrows

"The who?"

"Kin, powerful, evil creatures that take shape from negative emotions. I'd always thought they were just a theoretical happening, but ever since that incident at the Drop, these creatures have been appearing seemingly everywhere." Finn paled considerable at the mention of said incident which he unknowingly caused "Still, these Kin were not only powerful but also uniform. Normally, Kin appear with each new emotion and I was at least expecting to see some variation on account of the massive influx of fear. This means that they must all come from some common source, one with enough power and raw emotion to maintain them over a vast distance."

As the princess delved deeper into her discussion on the origin of the mysterious Kin, Finn and company all wore faces of utter confusion. Between the all the theory and experimentation and displacement of emotional stasis the boys were totally and completely clueless on what the teenaged ruler was saying.

"These Kin wore and used ice-based abilities. And their eyes…they looked so lonely…" she tapped a finger on her chin "lonely…lonely…That's it!"

The boys gave her their full attention.

"Ice attributed powers _and _loneliness. Do you realized what this means?" she asked, a series of blank stares following "Who do we know whose capable of using ice powers _and _is quite possible the loneliest person in all of Ooo?"

"THE ICE KING!" Jake and Finn simultaneously

"Who's Ice King?" Flapjack asked

"A total tool who spends all his time kidnapping princesses and being a loser." Jake replied, crossing his arms

"Jake's right." Finn nodded in agreement and then turned to PB "So look's like we're off to kick Ice King's butt again. Need anything while we're out." Finn asked

"Nah, I'll be busy helping dictate clean-up and going over my plans." the girl reassumed him

With another nod, he and his friends headed back to the _S.S. Stormalong, _a course set for the Artic Mountains.

(-x-)

Double D marveled at his surrounds. The ceiling above him was tinted with green leaves that seamlessly blended into the floor of plush, white petals. The entire cabin was no larger than his own bedroom, but the fact that Johnny had managed to craft the entirety of the structure by himself and move it with a constant stream of energy was more than enough to keep him in awe. Fran was also in awe, but her awe was over the being in such close proximity of her captain.

Johnny reached out his hand and willed his staff, positioned in the middle of the craft, to produce a single bud. The bud unraveled to reveal a glowing, green crystal. The young captain gingerly picked it up and sent a mild pulse of magic into it. Mere seconds later, two screens appeared from the now brightly glowing gem, figures dimmed and crackled as the images stabilized into familiar outlines.

"…_What the heck's this thing?_" came a familiar irritated voice

"…_Now is so not the time for this!_" a panicked and shaking figure asked almost completely vertical

"Odd? Eddy? What's going on?" Edd inquired, having not seen this particular strain of crystal

"It's a Holo Crystal, it's used for transmitting visual and audio over long distances. Sorta like a cell phone." Johnny turned his attention to the screens and saw that neither of the two groups seemed to be in a reasonable position to chat "Are you guys alright?"

"_Never been better!_" Ed yelled from behind the helm

"_Yeah, not like we're really doing anything!_" Buttercup screamed as the girl punched a Kin in the face

"Well, seeing that you've got so much free time, I'll make this short." Johnny turned to his cap wearing subordinate and then the screens "I think I know where Sarah is."

"_WHAT!_" came the collective gasps of all save Odd and Buttercup, who had no idea who Sarah was

"I've been able to sense trances of her energy for a while now but until recently, they'd been too scattered to give me any concrete lead. Which is why I'm sending Double D to investigate." Johnny gestured to the shocked lad, who gave him a double take

"M-me?" he stuttered seemingly unable to believe his leader.

"_Yeah, Sockhead? The guy can barely throw a punch, scratch that, make a fist! How's he gunna find Loud Mouth?_" Eddy punctuated his statement with a bash to a Whisp's head

"Double D's has impressive investigation and detective skills as well as his special optical spell, not to mention his outstanding use of his magic and his Riter functions as a means of transportation. He's the most capable candidate for the job." Johnny explained and then folded his arms, signaling that it was the end of the discussion.

"_Double D, you must save my sweet little sister!_" Ed bellowed as the view twisted in a one-eighty degree slant

"I'll do my best, Ed." Edd reassured his friend, whose smiling face disappeared along with Eddy's as the screen's migrated back into the glaring crystal.

"So where will I be heading, John-Captain, if you don't mind me asking." Double D quickly fixed his flub up, wanting to threat his commanding officer with respect

"The Land of Ooo, more specifically the Cave of the Crystal Eye." Johnny didn't bother to correct the smart Ed, he'd most likely simply insist on calling him so out of respect "And I'd advise you to be careful. Not only is it dangerous, but it's also home to some of the most fearsome creatures in all of Ooo, so watch yourself."

Double D nodded firmly before the floor beneath him suddenly blossomed open, leaving him at the mercy of gravity. He quickly tossed Inventor's Craft, the staff expanding into its hoverboard form. With a cry of good bye, he forced himself forward, the entire craft bursting forward in an ionized trail.

Johnny closed the opening in the floor and gave his full attention to Fran. The girl blushed, clearly overwhelmed about being the presence of her crush alone. The rouge was once again invading her cheeks, while sweat gathered on her palms. Her perspiration only increased as she scooted closer to her.

"Fran, I'm so glad that it'll be just us on this mission." Johnny said and smiled warmly to his subordinate

"I-I-I…I-I'm glad too. It'll give us time to…get to know each other." Fran mentally banged her head against the wall. Why the heck was she being so forward? He'll probably think she's a completely boy-crazed nut and undutiful to boot.

"I'm glad you feel that way." he scooped her sweltering palms into his own, causing her to heart to lurch "Because we're going somewhere special."

"S-s-s-special?" Fran was doing everything in her power not to faint. Forming sentences with more than one word? Please! "W-w-where-"

"Ssshh." Johnny shushed her with a finger to her lips "Not until we get there."

The playfulness in his eyes as he winked at her in an almost flirtatious and their interlaced palms was simply too much for her and with a loving shutter, fainted.

(-x-)

The Artic Mountains of Ooo were a constant test of an adventurer's strength, skill, and cunning as every step taken could lead to a very quick and very cold demise. In the highest peck, overlooking the landscape like an imposing, looming figure, resided one of Ooo's most recognized and generally despised residents. The man wore nothing but a blue robe that covered the majority of his form, reaching all the way to the floor. His crown was decorated with red jewels which contrasted greatly with his pale, blue skin and long, white beard. The sovereign of ice, who could command it to snow for decades, freeze entire lakes, and raise powerful armies with a wave of his hand, sat glumly in his chair.

Ice King was bored.

"Gunter!" he cried at the top of his lungs

When his penguin servent had failed to come to him, he sighed deeply in boredom. He had been feeling awfully lonely ever since that bewitching black hooded beauty and her dim-witted Viking friend had showed up at his door. The feeling had suffocated him, blanketing his body in a soul-crushing field of solitude. He now, more than ever, need the company of a princess. To her marry him, to care for him, to love him unconditionally and never leave his side. That's what he wanted.

He had gotten up and decided to resume his hunt for a potential wife when the fortified ice in front of him gave way and exploded in a shower of frigid shards. The brooding ruler dusted the flacks from his white mane. He peered at the cloud and noticed several figures as it dispelled: his two favorite frenemies Finn and Jake, some weird blue faced guy, a blonde haired lad, and, to his utter surprise, the lovely Princess Bubblegum.

"Alright, Ice King," Finn had already brandished the golden blade in his direction "Tell us why you attacked the Candy Kingdom."

The ice mage raised a brow "Huh? Attack? What attack?"

"Don't play dumb Ice King." the yellow canine shifted his forearm down into a nun chuck and wrapped his ears around his head, leaving only exposed eyes "We don't wanna go all Ice ninja on you again."

Shivers ran down his spine at the very mention of that horrid incident "I'm telling you I don't know anything about an attack!"

"He may be right Finn." PB lowered her voice and stature "For all we know he may have created them without knowing."

"That still means he's responsible for-" Finn's statement was cut short as he and the rest of his comrades were swept to the side by a burst of snow.

"Hey, there sweetie.' The magic user swaggered up and leaned on the wall, propping himself up on a wall "Did you wear that just for me?"

Princess Bubblegum pulled back on the straps of her jacket "I wore it to prevent from freezing to death in this ice coffin."

"Oh, you," he quickly wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close "well don't worry about the cold. I'm sure once you get use to the cold, you'll find that it's really quite homey."

Ice King would've finished his tour if not for a solid right hook to the face. Finn the Human stood firmly between his crush and most dreaded foe, a look of determination in his eyes. He didn't have to even gesture for her to realize she'd be in the way. He relieved herself to the corner, where she watched as the four combatants assembled to face the Overlord of all things Ice.

Suddenly, Jake started to glow and before he could even gasp, he disappeared into a streak of light towards Finn, reforming his into his ring form.

"Well, that sucks." Finn cursed before leaping into battle for the third time today

Ice King deflected the incoming blade with a shield of winter, hurling the blade, wielder, and all into a far off wall. Flapjack rushed in and swung with his Riter, missing as the man deftly dodged the strike. He quickly parried as a bolt of frozen lightening crashed into him, the light zig-zagging into the ceiling. Knuckles took the chance and fired off two rounds, each of which were deflected by an ice shield.

"Shooff!" Knuckles blurted as a chuck of ice suddenly found his chest rather interesting

"Cap'n!" the lad yelled and dug into the chilled floor

Like before, he launched himself into a spinning twister and collided with another frozen lightening bolt. Sparks flew as his path went unimpeded and he crashed head first into…nothing, but a chilling blast of wind that knocked him to his knees. Stunned and free from his dizzying spin, he glanced up to see his opponent fluttering above the ground, smirking.

"Ha! If that's the best you can do, you're more pathetic than I am!" Ice King shouted

A moment of silence drifted by "Um…wait, I didn't mean that."

A screech of metal was barely blocked as he tossed up cloud cover, the blade shaving a few just off the top. After that, he sent a blizzard out in all directions, hoping to place as much distance between him and his attackers. He carefully swirled the contained mass, preening the snowflaked mist. From said mist came a shadow, which made the mage summon a lightening bolt at the ready. What burst forward wasn't Finn or the other two nameless cretins but a fiery hot ball of fire.

"Aagghhh!" Came his scream of distraught as he plummeted to the ground below

The raging blizzard calmed enough for the trio to see the now thoroughly ticked sovereign, tunic scarred with a gaping, charred hole. Knuckles proudly buffed his knuckles and blew the steaming smoke from his barrel. Feeling quite angered at the marring of his favorite (and only) tunic, he let loose torrent of lightening. Flapjack quickly spun and intercepted the lightening, sending it ricocheting across the room. PB ducked as a stray blast grazed above her while a few managed to bounce back on their attacker.

"Okay…I think that's enough of that." The lad's slurred as he teetered on his feet

"Argh! That's it!" The sheer volume in voice had made it possible to actually _feel _the seething rage.

With a swooping gesture of his hands, the floor cracked and gave way, a tower of ice erecting and molding over the casting wizard. With another wave of his fingers, the ice transfigured itself into the image of a roaring beast. While the sight was truly menacing, it was a simple bluff; Ice King had yet to perfect the art of moving golems made from pure ice.

"Behold! My Ultimate Defense!" he inhaled and shot an array of icicles of the group "I can attack you, but you can't attack me! You'll never break through!"

Finn growled irritable. He knew that the King's 'Ultimate Defense' could be broken, but that took time, which is something they didn't have with him being able to fire back this time. And he knew that racing home to get his pick axe was definitely out of the question.

"I know how we can break it!" Flapjack declared and held up his arm

The charm glowed briefly before shooting up into the air. The Ice King chuckled. :Is that your brilliant plan? Ha, you'll need more than some fancy light show to defeat me-hey, why's it so dark?" His eyes slowly darted up and witnessed a blue mass plummet on top of him, shattering his defense in a spray of fragments. The boy dusted off his face and smiled at the sight of a blue whale perched on top of the Ice King.

"Thanks, Bubby!"

"Anytime, pumpkin!" the whale shouted and disappeared back onto the bracelet

Finn gaped at the settling cloud, then Flapjack, and back again. How the flip did he do that! That must've been hit. His concern over the Ice King fleeted as he quickly noticed PB and nodded. Time to get the math outta here. Grabbing her into his arms (Shuttering all the while), the trio dashed out of the ruined lair, leaving the blue skinned wizard.

Alone.

Alone, just like always. Only this time, the grip of loneliness had grasped his throat, forcing his windpipe shut. He couldn't breath. He could feel the darkness closing in around him, threatening to envelop him completely and leave him utterly alone.

**Alone**.

He couldn't bare to be alone again, not after almost having the fair candy maiden. He was sure he would've convinced her to stay if only Finn and those two guys didn't Princess Block him the entire time.

_**Alone.**_

No…Never again would he suffer from being alone. He would have the princess. He would have his Kingdom. And most importantly, he would have his revenge on those meddlesome for their interference. Fueled by an anger and hatred he'd never known, he quickly recited an age old spell.

(-x-)

Double D gulped. This have to be the twelfth time since he arrived that he had done so. But it couldn't be helped. It was just so darned scary, nay completely terrifying down here. Johnny's warning of danger had did little to justify the sheer amount of horror these denizens of the cave were capable of. The only thing good he'd managed to extract from this journey was that at least it gave his skills the edging they so desperately needed.

The cap wearing Ed had read somewhere that constant subjection to adversity and those kin to him would give him instinctive knowledge as well of gifting him with invaluable experience to further enhance his overall mystic control. In laymen's terms, or Ed speak as his friend had coined it, fighting helps build up stamina. Sure, he was a bit winded from all the running-for-dear-life and narrowly-defeating-the-insanely-overpowered-enemy, but all in all, he was the better for it.

He gave a look around and sighed. Still no sign of Sarah. He was still a novice when it came to magic, nowhere near close to Fran much less Johnny, and thus couldn't quite pinpoint where the energy source was coming from. So far, all his searching had got him was a serve case of justified paranoia.

ROAR!

Double D sighed. Gripping his steel Riter in his now callusing hands, he readied himself another onslaught of monstrosities.

(-x-)

Finn couldn't look away. Knuckles and Flapjack couldn't either, all eyes glued on the sight before them all. From the base of the icy fortress came a bellowing figure, crying out in what one might consider a cross between a howl and screech of agony. The figure unfurled it's arms, the long, gnarly trunks settling on nearby mountain tops. A flurry of fringed spikes blasted from all anlges of it's face with two deep, haunting orbs staring out into the distance. And it's entire body glistened in the sun, ice covering every inch of what once might've been flesh.

"Great Gophers." Finn muttered only to receive a small smack to the head and a PB instructing "Don't mix your references, Finn."

The creature suddenly focused it's spheres on the group. The fact that it didn't seem to blink made it simply that much more terrifying. It slowly opened it jaws, a cavern of spiked teeth ranging from inside.

"_**Princess…**_' the tone in it's voice was deep and hallow, sending a wave of tingles down the maiden's spine "_**Must…have…Princess!"**_

Without warning, the creature reared up, dragging itself from its frozen tomb, revealing long, slender legs that thickened near the base. The imposing figure slowly lowered its limbs onto the ground, refreezing the already frozen ground. It raised a hand high above its head, claws gleaming in the light as they blotted out the sun.

"RUN LIKE LITTLE GIRLS!" Knuckles instructed and the four dashed as fast as they could down the slope, barely dodging swooping trio of beheading scythes.

They hit the ground rolling and stayed that way as another reaping claw grazed the frigid air above them. They quickly mounded to their feet and rushed as fast as they could over the hill. Finn looked back and visibly resisted the urge to scream. The monolith was gaining. And fast. If they weren't quick enough, they be coming face-to-face with the worst freezer burn of their lives.

Finn then turned on his heels and brandished his sword.

"Are you nuts!" Knuckles shouted before he found the gorgeous Princess Bubblegum in his wooden arms

"Take care of PB. I'll take care of this thing." Finn looked as fiercely determined as ever, even as the ground rocked from the steps of the giant.

"Nuh un," Flap said, shaking his head and bring out Sweet Justice "you're not doing this alone."

"Flap? Are you crazy!" Knuckles felt as though the question was rhetorical "…You better not die, or Imma eat all of Candy Island without you!"

Flapjack nodded and smiled, before facing the giant once more. With a hesitant nod of his own, he and PB raced down the mountain.

"So whadda we do?" he asked his senior

"Distract it." Finn decided to led by example and plunged his blade into the foot of the massive creature. He shouted in fright as the giant kept moving, seemingly ignorant of the strike. This didn't deter him, as he drug his sword through the creature, rewarded with a mighty howl of pain.

Blue orbs looked scornfully at him and shook its foot, sending him back down to earth. Flap tried spinning into his twister, but the attack barely cut through, leaving a faint scratch that went unnoticed. Growing annoyed by their interference, it raised a claw which bristled a misty white that implanted into the ground. A hazard of spike the size of skyscraper rocketed towards them. Thinking quick, Flap spun round once more, his cyclone deterring the ice from them.

"Thanks, dude." Finn said with a grateful breath

"Don't…mention it." the blonde haired lad was now tired and dizzy, but thundering footsteps alerted them to a job yet to do.

"We're not gunna even dent this guy without fire." Finn mused to himself.

That's when a light bulb went off in Flap's head. Gripping his Riter, focused all his thoughts on the hottest things he could imagine: the sun, the summer, the Dock hag's temper, Peppermint Larry's Red Hots…And with each thought, his weapon grew hotter and brighter. Soon, it was flaring with wisps of energy that danced across it in a pattern similar to fire.

"Eat this!"

A wave in the shape of a whipping 'S' came hurdling at the backside of the creature. The impact sent a chorus of screaming steam and pain out through the region. Life-giving liquid fell to the iced earth, returning to its frozen state, the creature bucked in pain. It glared at the duo before hissing as more of its body was pelted with more burst of heat. It growled and beheld the sight of the blue faced man aiming deadly shots of fire towards him.

It howled and thrusted its claw, a hailstorm of sharp, crisp shards barreling towards them. PB quickly grasped the air around her pendent which was engulf in a bright cerulean glow. The shards suddenly broke as they impacted a layer of blue energy, the princess panting from the effort. Now outraged beyond belief, it moved with unbelievable speed and shattered the shield, claiming PB.

"_Princess!"_

The teen struggled, trying to free herself from the monster's mighty grip, but to no avail. As he rose her up to become eye-to-monstrously-huge-eye, she paused as she saw a peculiar look in them. They seemed to be distant, but at the same time…longing.

"…_**Princess…"**_

It gingerly scooped up a portion of her taffy-like hair, admiring it. Finn, of course, was having none of it. He quickly shouted an idea to flapjack, who nodded sternly in agreement. Finn deftly balanced on his comrade's Riter before the lad twisted one final time into the blurring cyclone. After a few rotation, he dug in and hurled his friend at the beast's chest. With his most fearsome war cry, he was nearly oblivious to his blade which caught fire with a golden hue. He then jabbed the glowing blade into the heart of the beast. The resulting howl was deafening.

Finn cringed as he dug out of the creature's wound, backflipped, grabbed the PB, and landed on the ground with his crush in his arms, sending a fresh wave of chills down his spine. Flapjack and Knuckles quickly raced up to them, the teen signaling IB to pick them up in the _S.S. Stormalong. _

As they departed, they failed to see the fallen creature slowly break apart, Piece by piece, the cold crystals lifted into the air, returning back to wince they came. As its limbs segmented and its torso cracked, another figure from inside was revealed to the world once again. His blue skinned fingers reached for the sky, longing to be with them.

But it was not to be. He watched tearfully as the shards continued to break free from the icy form and return home to their Eden in the sky. He longed desperately to be with them and struggled with all his remaining might to stand. Alas, it was simply not to be. Once the ice had finally, cleared, he had found himself once again in that ever painful position; Alone.

_**You're not alone…**_

He twitched his ears at the voice, wondering where in Ooo it had come from. His answer came in the form of a gaping black hole beneath him. A dozen oozing hands, claws, and tendrils grasped his body, pulling his barely struggling form below.

_**Do not struggle…**_

He felt his legs go numb and lax as they sank deeper into the pool yet struggled still.

_**Do not resist…**_

His arms failed him and his chest became heavy enough to force the air from his lungs yet he struggled still.

_**You are not alone…**_

As his head sunk into darkness, he could feel a thousand arms wrap tightly around him,; a thousand more eye staring at him compassionately. He quickly forgotten his struggle and questioned why he'd even wish to do so in the first place. He embraced the arms around him, returning the gesture as a smile crept on his face.

He was not now, or ever, going to be alone ever again.

(-x-)

Double D panted with exhaustion, too preoccupied with his state of affairs to notice the ogre sneaking up behind him. A quick OOPM! Was heard before the creature toppled over. The smart Ed gave Neutron a nod of approval before the Summons disappeared back into the Riter.

That marked the fourth wave of enemies he'd encountered in the last hour. He was beginning to think Jonny had simply sent him here to test him. Or harden him up as the case very well might've well been.

His head snapped behind him.

It was so faint that he didn't even notice it before but not, it rang loud and clear. He knew this energy; wild, feisty, and ill-tempered with a hint of mischief. Fran was nowhere near here so it could only be one somebody else. He raced down the hall, heart pounding in his chest. His pace came to an end as he neared the edge of a door. Pitch black, it ran straight down into an abyss.

He had felt something else. Something dark. Something dangerous. Something wanting…daring him to come down.

He gulped for seemingly the umpteenth time.

Should he go down there? After all, his energy was well spent just making it to this portion, not to mention the drastic difference in power between what he sensed now and what he'd fought previously. The smart thing to do was say he'd done a good job, turn around, and leave as fast as he could. The right thing to do, however, was to go down the abyss, despite fear of the unknown and his depleted energy reserves, face this beast and save Sarah.

He debated the two in his head for a brief moment.

"Curse this virtuous streak of mine…" he muttered to himself before jumping down the rabbit hole.

**Author's Notes: **If you notice, my style of writing seems to wane or even change throughout this chapter. This is because most of this chapter was written in various states from lazy to extra lazy to up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-so-I-might-as-well lazy. So please, try to over look that.

Also, don't be upset if the fight with Ice King was a bit light and short. My reasons for doing so are simple: Despite being capable of control the weather and freezing entire cities, he's managed to get his butt kick my a human teenager and his dog. So, even though the ice giant could've been spread out a bit more, he's just so incompetate to use his powers wisely. Besides, it gives me a chance to showoff a _very _badass character later in the story.

Yay! Billy and Mandy! These two are too good _not _to include in my story! So, yes, expect them next chapter as well as some very revelanting details...TTFN!


	10. A Series of Strange Happenstances

**Author's Notes: **I can't beileve its been nearly half a year since I've updated this. I dunno, been busy, lacked the drive to write, was lazy. Whatever, just know this chapter was really long before I cut it down and that the title would've made more sense if I'd left it as is, but even I know when to cut something down. So here it is, the tehth chapter, filled with action, plot, and villians galore! Please R&R. Helps motivates me.

Chapter 10: A Series of Strange Happenstances

"Oww! That hurts!" Finn groaned as the disinfectant garbled in his wound.

"Good. It means the medicine is doing its job." The candy maiden gently applied a bandage to his damaged forearm before delicately pecking it with a kiss.

Finn's cheeks lit up like a holiday tree as he turned to the side and hyperventilated. As he did, he took the time to sort through his thoughts. Currently, the _S.S. Stormalong _was cruising back towards the Candy Kingdom at a leisurely pace, mostly due to IB's upgrading of the primary defense and AI features. Of course, Finn hadn't the slightest idea how either of these things actually worked or how they were even possible but he decided to simply not think about it. Thinking had become a rather frequent habit of his and frankly, it'd become a bit draining.

"Hey, Knuckles?" Finn asked, taking the captain's gaze away from his flask "When are you gonna tell us how you did that fire blast thing?"

"Or Flap using that fire whip." Jake's voice questioned from its ringed prison.

The Captain and lad pondered the events in their heads briefly before answering in unison "I dunno."

Finn gave his comrades a quizzical look, prompting a sigh from the aged man.

"Look, when I used it I just…I dunno, I just _did._" he shrugged his wooden shoulders "All I could think about was how _angry _that stupid knight-thing was making me and I got really burned up over it…"

"I did too." All eyes fell on the young blonde haired lad "When I used that fire whip, I thought about every hot thing I could think of. Then I swung and things just…happened."

Silence draped the foursome, save for the distance buzzing of metal-to-metal as IB applied the necessary modifications. It didn't last, as the princess's musing quickly shattered the stillness.

"I see…so it would seem as though your emotional state affected the outcome of your spells…" producing a notepad courtesy of hammer space, the teen ruler quickly set about jotting down notes "If that's the case, then it would correlate with Jenavene's Theory of Emotional-Basis and also explain why certain castings have more of a pronounced effect when used in certain states of mind. Of course, it could also help establish the favored elements that individuals seem to possess and might even affect the appearance and function of a Riter."

"Um, PB? What the heck does all that mean?" Finn asked, curious about the subject

"It means that the spell you cast is determined by the emotional state you're in while casting it. For example, Knuckles was angry when he used his spell and since anger is typically associated with fire, it became a Fire-attributed spell. On the contrary, Flapjack's spell was activated by simply thinking of fire-related things and channeled that into his spell."

"Sooo…if we're angry, we'll use a fire spell?" Finn scratched his head as he attempted to gain some understanding of what was going on.

"Not necessarily. The emotion is needed to help unlock it, but afterwards, the spell can be used without the emotion actually needing to be present. So, such a spell could be used if you're afraid, confident, sad, or happy. Having it while casting would likely increase its power, but wouldn't be crucial to successfully using it." PB explained

At this point, everyone was starching their heads in confusion, shrugging and casting questioning looks as the princess continued. So, such was life on the sky-faring vessel as they approached the Candy Kingdom.

(-x-)

Darkness.

This near constant companion for his duration in the cave blanketed him tightly, sending chills and the ever growing lump of fear that seem to increase with each pounding heartbeat. The cap wearing lad dared not attempt to clutch his racing muscle for fear that doing so would distract him for when he finally fell to the floor.

"_If there even is one." _The thought had crept up on him for the third time as hours seemed to pass as he continued to fall in a never-ending shroud of ebony. Fear and darkness aside, what scared him the most and made him dread his impending landing was the presence he felt seemed to grow even thicker and more suffocating with each passing minute, his breathe threatening to catch in his throat. So caught up was he in his thoughts, he barely noticed the rapidly approaching granite.

With the aid of preschool gymnastics, Edd tucked and rolled as he landed, displacing enough of the collective force from his fall to emerge unharmed. Gasping and finally clutching his chest, he took in heavy gulps of air before he even dared to scan the area.

He found himself in a large chamber, the ceiling spiraling into the abyss from wince he came. Tall, noble columns were partially or completely destroyed, vines and other creeping plants latching on with grim swirls. But what put him both on edge and nearly made him want to scream bloody murder was the sight of numerous skeletons, all clad in armor that had tarnished with age. But what was still more disturbing was the fact that many had bite marks and claw indents etched into the marrow.

"Ah, I see you came."

The sudden sound and the sheer amount of sickening slickness of the voice caused him to release a much needed gasp of terror. Turning around and assuming what he now had tokened as his stance, his eyes met those of the interloper.

Sitting high atop of wall in a nest of bones and discarded armor sat perhaps the most frighten cat the boy had ever seen. Both his left foreleg and right hind leg were seeming missing their joints yet somehow remained anatomically correct. Then there was his tail, which originated from the sides of his Columbia skinned form as long, slender whips of carnation that split into a tuning fork tip.

Then there were his eyes. Yellow with sharp, silted red irises. Eyes of a predator. Eyes that could send shivers and won purely by intimidation. Looking into them, Double D had to use every bit of his will power to not concede before the fight began.

"S-so…I take it…y-you're the presence I felt?" Double D's teeth were clattering and his grip shaking like a leaf

"Yes," the cat was a devious one that easily scared a good bit of courage out of him "I am. And you're the presence _I've _been feeling for quite some time. Seems as though you've been in quite the fight."

Indeed, the smart Ed could already feel his low energy taking its toll, breath barely even enough to maintain focus.

"Good. That'll make it all the easier to _rip your heart out_." he punctuated the last four words with a symphony of unsheathing claws.

With a strangled yelp from the lad, the fight was on.

The cat leapt forward in a streak and brought his claws for his jugular. He quickly counter and was sent staggering back from the force. He gave him no quarter and struck again, this time aiming for his heart. Double D barely had time to activate his shield before the claws slashed against the energy field, sending it a buzz with humming light.

With a roar, the feline unleashed a flurry of swipes, each clanging louder and louder against the azure defense. Sweat drenched his collar and brim of his cap as he fought off the numbing quakes of his Riter. Then, with a particularly powerful stroke, a shattering filled the air.

CRINGG!

Edd's eyes contracted into pinpricks and a brief gasp escaped his mouth as he watched as the shield which had been so faithful throughout his journey cascaded in brilliant shards of blue around him. His body plummeted to the floor, his staff clattering away from him. As he looked up, a sense of fear and panic the likes of which he'd never known enter his chest.

The cat stood over him, eyes narrowed and maw splayed into a Cheshire grin before he raised his claws. The briefest of moments, Double D felt his heart cease to beat, feeling as though the shimmering scythe had already imbedded themselves, severing veins and arteries. Then, time suddenly started again.

He held up his palms and shouted a spell. Blinding and powerful light erupted from his hands and clashed with the creature, sending it skidding backwards. Wasting nary a second, he ran to his Riter, scooped it into his smoking hands, and bolted.

His seat of logic had completely siege control and told him one, single order: Run because your enemy is a superior fighter, predator, and brutally efficient killer and you are a wimpy, scrawny, fatigued scholar who should stick to what you do best. And he didn't attempt to argued with it. For it was right. He was wimpy. He was scrawny. He was fatigued. The chance at victory was literally non-existence and his only hope of survival was to run for dear life.

Almost immediately afterwards, he had to drop to the ground to avoid losing his head. The cat had somehow caught up with, surpassed and then attacked him all in the blink of an eye. Charging between his legs, he scrambled to his feet and resumed fleeing.

"Hmp-Hmp…I adore it when they try to escape." And with a grin, he seemingly vanished from sight

Double D saw something flicker and he couldn't even recognize it before it had sent him sprawling on the floor. He groaned, touching a hand to his side and noticed that he was bleeding. The clothing that had bounced energy bolts, bullets, and swords away had been shredded by a swipe of the feline's claws. Dragging himself to his feet, he noticed that his legs nearly buckled under his weight.

"_Good Lord, what to do? I'm nearly completely out of energy, my shield's no longer effective, and now I'm in need of first-aid." _His thoughts flared as he noticed the cat was walking towards him with a rather strained stride _"Is he hurt? Did I hurt him?…No, it must be a previous injury. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. But I'll need a distraction." _

With but a thought, he called forth Neutron. The black summons thrilled at his master before turning towards the cat. With a cry, it raced forward, gyroscope blazing. So taken by surprised was he that he didn't even have time to block and received the full grinding force to the face. He hurled into a pillar, crumbling the stone and marble atop himself. The summons thrilled in delight when a roar filled the chamber.

"You little pest!" Came the cat's raging voice as he emerged from his tome.

Then, he raised the tip of his tail, a humming ball of blue energy sparking to life. With a primal roar, it slammed the sphere into the floor, sending waves of ground-fissuring force at the creature. It couldn't even move before it collapsed and sent it into a pillar of its own, filling the chamber with bright light. A stream of white jetted from the smoking rubble and back to the stunned boy's Riter.

Even injured, the cat was a formidable opponent. Gripping Inventor's Craft, he positioned himself into his stance.

"Don't even try, Double G." the cat said mockingly

"Actually…its Double D." the boy said, mystified that the cat had almost guessed his name.

"Whatever. I know you're going to attempt to defeat me with your pathetic arsenal of spells or even try and use Newton again, but it won't work. I know almost everything, you know. Including exactly what you might do." The cat boasted, smiling devilishly at him.

"…Approximate Omniscience…Interesting. Tell me, do you know of a girl with red hair, pink shirt and blue jeans, and a temper like a volcanic eruption?" the boy still stayed at the ready, but the thought of such an ability did pique his interest.

"Maybe I do," he paused for dramatic effect "maybe I don't."

"Then if I can make you yield to me, will you promise to tell me everything you know of her?" Double D tightened his grip, a plan hatching even as he spoke.

"…Sure, why not?" The cat laughed humorously. As if the boy could actually drive him to that.

"Good. Then let's proceed, shall we?" Double D narrowed his gaze, hen, all at once, attacked.

Startled by this sudden bout of bravery (or foolhardiness), the cat received the full force of his Riter as it slammed into his torso. Grunting and gritting his fangs, his lashed out with a claw, only to find his quarry was no longer there. A surging pain from his left knee alerted him to the boy's location as he suddenly whipped his tail at him.

"Energy Waver: Flash!"

The Light-attributed spell came from his blind side, pushing his slate grey form into a pillar. Fractures erupted from his collision but the column remained standing, even as he jerked his body free with a grunt. Shaking away the spots in his vision, his gaze narrowed to the boy in front of him.

"I don't know what trick you're using," he growled as he crouched into a predatory stance "but it ends now."

"You're absolutely correct." Double D allowed himself a smile "Or are you?"

The blatant mocking of his abilities had transmutated his low growl into a vicious snarl and his body hunched and bristled with rage. Eyes now glazed over in velvet, the creature threw himself from the stone floor and at the scrawny and well-worn cap wearing lad. He had envisioned his face to be mangled into a model of terror; mouth agape in shock and fear as his life ran on fast forward in front of his eyes. This had been the reaction he had been expecting.

He wasn't expecting the boy to grin and show off his pearly whites and gap. Nor did he anticipate the sudden appearance of a watch that hummed a faint blue-gold before flaring at the boy's command.

"Stasis!"

A moment passed…

Then another…

With the final passing of the third beat, the Ed gripped his chest and heaved a weighted sigh of relief. The feline now stood hovering a mere inch in front of him, his body shrouded in the watch's light. His stream-line form was stretched taut, his claws precariously poised for the boy's windpipe. As the glow hummed lightly, the only thing moving was the creature's eyes as they darted about.

"…How..?" He'd managed to ask even though his jaws felt like they were made of lead

"Simple." With his trademark gap filled smile and scholarly tone, he held up the watch and eagerly explained "This watch was given to me while during my brief stay with the members of Time Squad. This device allows an authorized officer to travel through time at a whim, fixing and repairing it. However, since I am not an authorized member, the watch won't work for me. But…it does allow for various temporal-based spells."

"…So…that's how…you…evaded me…" speaking was becoming ever more painful as he strained to get the words out of his thoroughly cramping jaws

"The first spell I used was Tempo, which either slows or speeds up the subject of the spell. Naturally, I used it no myself and was able to use my increased speed to attack en mass from multiple directions." He gestured to the watch hands, the black lines frozen in place "The second spell that I am now currently using is Stasis. As its name suggest, it's a spell that enables me to freeze anything in time for a short period. And I'd been saving these spells until after I'd lulled you into a false sense of security."

Despite his current situation, the feline smiled. He was impressed that the boy had come up with such a clever plan, even though he knew he might've been lying and had come up with the last-ditch strategy on a whim. "So…you've caught me…but…I still refuse…to yield."

Double D was now panting heavily from exhaustion as the efforts of supporting the spell on such low energy reserves started to take their toll. Still, he had one trick left up his sleeve and he prayed to every deity he knew that he'd have the strength left to utilize it. With a deep breath, he calmed himself and spoke.

"Energy Waver: Sonic Flash."

Blinding light gathered around his palm, condensing into a sphere that hovered briefly at its center. Then, said sphere split as it traveled to the finger tips, reforming into marble-sized orbs. The resulting howl produced as the cat received a rapid-fire douse of five streaking beams nearly a dozen times over made him lone to clasp his ears shut. The his attacker sailed into the pillar collapsing it before it triggered a chain reaction, as more pillars followed suit and gave way to domino effect. As the final crashed into the cobblestone, Double D stood over the downed feline, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"That, I believe, is checkmate." he drawled before watching as the familiar blinding light filled the chamber.

He unshielded his eyes and his grin widened as he watched the last of the light slip into his Riter. Only after this happened did Double D allow himself to feel the full brunt of Relapse and buckled over as the stinging pain coursed from his singed fingertips to the rest if his body. Finally, from the combined forces of exhaustion and the magical feedback, he fainted.

(-x-)

He wasn't a coward.

Despite every piece of condemning evidence that said otherwise, he was a remarkably brave and courageous fellow; a soldier for others to follow in example. That is, when he chose to be. Currently, he'd give anything to burrow into the nearest rabbit hole, seal himself in, and never come out. Because Endsville Forest was just that darn scary. Given his experience both prior and during his Underground career, one would think he'd be at least somewhat used to the strange occurrences that happened to him. But alas, it was not to be.

Wild grasses grew and clumped together in snarls and knots, clasping stray stones and competing plants in their death grips. Tall, aged oaks towered into the clouded, darkened sky, their autumn bare branches clawing at lunar visage above them. The orchestra of howls and bone-chilling shrieks did little, if anything, to help calm his hair-trigger nerves.

_Go to my happy, Go to my happy, Go to my happy, _the canine thought over and over as lidded his eyes shut, trying his hardest to envision the peaceful and lulling dreamscape.

"Whoa, did cha see the size of that squirrel? It must've been like, ten-feet tall or sumthin."

The pink dog's eyes burst out of their lids, bulging out as he began a imitating a banshee. Eddy simply chuckled and looked at the expression of pure fright on his comrade's face. Of course, a quick jab from Buttercup reprehended this. Nursing his stinging side, he glanced about the eerie landscape, fighting against a shudder.

This place _was _creepy.

SNAP!

The trio whirled their heads in the direction of the noise, only to find nothing there. The phenomenon repeated itself once more; Eddy gripping his Riter in his hands and steadying his stance. Buttercup flared her aura threateningly, green sparks dancing on clenched fist and in luminous eyes. Courage, bundle of nerves that he way, shook so violently, he felt as though his Riter would fall from his grasp.

The group waited, calmly backing back into a tight formation, readying themselves for the impending attack. Their eyes swept the area, looking for the tiniest bit of light that might herald the enemy's presence. They waited for little more than three seconds before a dashing vermillion glare struck from the bushes.

The Powerpuff raised her guard, the shot ricocheting into the bark of a tree, felling it. A whirring of motion was seen from behind the bushes, preceding an array of shearing hot ionized-light. The girl expertly blocked the shots, scarcely taking her eyes off the blurring assailants. Eddy's Riter did an excellent job at dissipating the shots as they struck. Courage, frightened out of his mind, did little more than frail about, hoping the beams would miss.

"Come on! Stop running, you cowards!" Eddy barked at the blurs

With a resounding whir, they complied. Eddy watched as the streaks emerged from their hideaways, gleaming in the soft moonlight. Before them were three, white, blue, and purple machines, spikes running down the length of their frame. Their single red optic glaring at them in a manner that might've been anger, if they had the means to do so. Their legs, military grade tire-treds, retracted into bipedal legs as they increased size.

Metal groaned, stretched, and appeared seemingly by magic as they rapidly increased in size and mass. Rotaries grinded and whirred as four long, jointed metal limbs sprouted from their appropriate sockets. Spines erupted down their spinal columns as their heads molded and folded themselves into helmets, their single red optic glaring menacingly at them as they completed their transformation. Slowly, they stalked forwards like predators towards the kill…

A red hot beam of light tore through the armor plating covering the sensitive wires in the machines shoulder, lobbing the limb to the ground with a loud thud. Buttercup blasted forward with a flying kick and sent her foe tumbling back into the woods. Eddy followed suite and unleashed a blindingly fast hit to the robot's torso, sending him across the ground, leaving Courage alone to face the wrath of the last mechanized killing machine.

Buttercup launched a series of five punches and a roundhouse, all backed by a brilliant flash of emerald. The cyber-combatant proved to be more nimble than it appeared as it dodged as six attacks effortlessly and then reveal a long, fiery whip from its forearm. The Powerpuff zipped through the air, each crack of the whip coming closer to hitting it mark. As it came within inches away from her shoulder, she snapped into action; grabbing the appendage and spinning into a whirlwind. The machine was pulled off the ground and spun for several rotations until it was ejected into a tree.

"How'd cha like that?" the black-haired fighter taunted as she came to a stop

WHIROOM!

A pulse of electric blue energy encased her and bound her arms firmly to her arms. In her state of restriction, she was spun round and round, crashing through row after row of timber until she finally was flung into a boulder, shattering it into fine dust. The tractor beam folded back into robot's arm and it tilted its head to the side, a gesture that might've been a smirk if it'd have had a mouth to smile.

A blast of wind whipped through the area, sending fine particles of dust around the area. Buttercup stood fully erect, scratches donning her form. Cracking a smile, she grew broad smile.

"That's more like it."

Eddy found himself once again in the dangerous dance of death as he dueled with the mechanized fighter. Its arm had produced and formed a drill, chainsaw, mallet, and taser in each arm and proceeded to use each of them with deadly efficiency against the shorter lad. However, Eddy proved to be a harder target to hit than expected. The short boy was fast and agile, slipping under and around its strikes while blocking and parrying those that he couldn't. Even Eddy was shocked at just how well he was holding his own the fight and didn't even bother to hide his enthusiasm as he continued to attack.

The robot suddenly slid backwards, out of his range and started to disassemble its arms. Eddy saw the opening and leapt at it, shields blazing neon blue as he rushed in for the kill. His face blanched as the machine's arms rebuilt themselves into four large, complex cannons; a deep crimson energy building within them. Eddy swung his Riter in front of himself and braced for impact.

BOOMZP!

A thundering flash of red collided with blue, sending shockwaves and ruble flying in all directions. The rebuke of the blast had sent Eddy careening through a hollowed oak before crashing head first into a field of pumpkins. Several of the orange globes were splattered apart as they took the force of the Ed's fall. Still clinging to his Riter, he stood, gripping his aching head.

"…Great." he groaned as he wiped specks off the decimated vegetable off his jacket "And I hate pumpkin."

A tell-tale whirr alerted him and he instantly blocked using the shields from his weapon. The blast only sent him back a few yards as opposed to the several meters earlier. Removing the shimmering fields of light, he was greeted to the sight of the robot, now sporting four very dangerous looking blades, rushing towards him.

Courage dodged the saw blade that almost deprived him of more of his tail and then dived to avoid being squashed by a mallet. The robot seemed to have a very avid interest in the dog and was showing his interest by trying to systematically destroy the fuchsia dog. Even the farmer never went to such extremes! He dove, twisted, vaulted, and leapt away from every attack he could yet it seemed as though every strike came just a little closer to relieving him of a piece of himself.

Then, as he prepared to slip away from another attack, he felt a sudden numbness in his side. His face scrunched up in pain and he released a weak yelp as he was hurtled several yards through the forest. He crashed to the ground in a roll, dust kicking up from his impact. As he attempted to get to his feet, his ears perked up as he heard the sound of something coming.

"Gah!" came a yell that fell to the side of him.

He looked and saw that it was Eddy, his arms bound by a strange, glowing beam of energy. A second scream alerted him to Buttercup, who found herself in a similar situation. Courage looked at his comrades in shock before gazing up at the trio of figures stalking towards them.

"So, Whaddaya think?" a voice called

The trio all looked upwards at a jutting peak of earth, a man with strangely blue hair and pink attire looking down at them. He was wearing a very large grin, something that made Buttercup angry just by looking at it.

"I wouldn't try breaking out. Those are Quantum Helix Energy Restraints. They have enough power to hold back Dark Ace and Conquest so I know it'll be more than enough to hold you." the man boasted, swaggering atop the outcrop.

"Who are you?" Buttercup demanded, stretching her binds a bit before they snapped back with renewed force

"Oh, how rude of me," he cried with false sympathy "I'm Wacko, Genius I.Q. and Inventor at your service."

The canine and Powerpuff stiffened at the introduction. "Wacko? As in the Wacko who was exiled from the Confederation of Nations for crimes against the officers and officials? Who reportedly conducted unauthorized research into Essence and cruelly tortured members of the KND as test subjects?" She rambled the list of offenses, a mix of anger and appall seeping into each word

"Well, I wouldn't call it torture. Besides, they really helped me understand the nature of Essence in greater detail. Even now, your still using my research." he pointed a finger at the girls right hand, a small bauble sitting atop it "If I recall correctly, it's that handy-dandy device that let you win some of your more…demanding battles."

Buttercup gritted her teeth, sparks of green forming around her before the energy restrains dismissed them. Eddy looked from Buttercup to Wacko to Courage and scratched his head…or at least would've if he could move his arm "What the heck's going on around?"

"Funny you should ask that," Wacko had now taken a seat on rock, reaching into his pocket "Ya see, my superiors have been getting really antsy about this whole 'War-on-CN' thing. We just don't have the time and resource for a prolonged fight. So they sent me out to get some POW's and hold 'em hostage."

He produced a small canister and with a pop, a fountain of popped, golden deliciousness came pouring out "Well, hostage might not be that accurate," he explained as he munch on a handful of popcorn "You'll actually be used as guinea pigs for my new experiments. And I've got quite a lot of 'em."

Eddy suddenly felt his blood run cold and pool to his feet. This guy was a genuine, honest-to-goodness mad scientist, just like in Ed's stupid comic books. And he had them tied up, cornered, and at his mercy.

"_Aw…Crap." _Was all he could think as he saw the machines stalk closer to them

Buttercup tried to free herself but once again, the bounds sapped her energy and left her feeling weaker than before. She cursed openly and even more severely mentally. It couldn't end like this. She couldn't let herself, Eddy, and Courage be turned into lab rats. This made her increase her struggles, only to be more painfully reprimanded.

"Oh, almost forgot." Wacko said suddenly and retrieved a button from his coat pocket and pressed it.

A strange gurgling filled the area and the sound pointed to the machines as the source. Eddy fought to hold down his lunch as black ooze similar to that at the Drop slid through the armor of the robotic warriors. Then, the metal groaned and the machine's spasmed as more ooze trickled around them. The echoing cries of pure, un-synthetic anger ripped through the air as the machines fell to their knees.

Their spines bent and flexed as spikes erupted and grew longer more their vertical column. Their metal arms bent and cracked as joints free of machinery formed as a long, lashing tail sprouted from behind. Their second set of appendages retreated until only a the first remained. The single red optic spilt in two and pulsed into a glaring white. The metamorphosis halted, leaving behind a new creature, one that looked beastly with pieces of white, blue, and purple gleaming in the shrouded light.

"Behold, the Wondour!" Wacko said dramatically "These little dickens will be softening you up for transport and experimentation. But play nice! The Boss Lady said we can't rough 'em up _too _much."

Eddy could've sworn he felt his heart drop. He was about to die. There was no doubt in his mind that these things were about to tear him limb-from-limp and leave him in a pile so wrecked even his mother wouldn't recognize him. He bowed his head, fully excepting to feel claws rending flesh any second now. But what he did feel were footsteps. He looked up and saw that Courage had taken up a position in front of the down kids.

"Are you nuts?" Eddy cried "Run! Go get help! Save yourself!"

"Will you shut up!" Buttercup shouted and kicked him in the shin "Just sit back and watch."

"Watch what? The guy get torn apart?" Eddy questioned his comrades sanity until he took a good look at Courage.

He noticed that the cowardly tremble he always used was gone, replaced with a solid, erect posture and a dire air around him. His jaw was set and his paw was gripped tightly around his Riter. Courage the Cowardly Dog was gone and in his stead was a stranger who looked every sense of his name. Shifting his footing, he lifted his hands into a pose that seemed oddly reminiscent of one of Ed's kung-fu movies. Then, the beasts struck.

With a cry, Courage thrusted his paw into the creature's chest, sending him flying before ducking a swipe from the second's claws, catching them with a kick to the temple. The third leapt over its fallen comrade with intent to kill, only to land on empty space. High above, Courage hung in air, seeming to defy gravity before coming crashing down with a knee to the back of its unguarded neck. It crumpled beneath the canine, who was already leaping to and fro to avoid the lashing and claws from another Wondour.

The first Wondour roared as the dog leapt out of range and summoned a barrage of tendrils to his aid. Courage, undaunted by the display, tossed up his hand and allowing the attack to harmlessly deflect off his called upon shield. He then willed the elements to his outstretched palm and without so much as a word, sent a large river crashing through the previous spell. The river swooped into the air and rose like twin ribbons until they rejoined and manifested into the shape of a sea monster's head. The attack then came crashing down towards the ground, sweeping the entire area in a flood of water.

Wacko gave a low whistle and dug more popcorn into his mouth. He watched as his Wondours shook the excess water from their forms and then launched themselves once more at the dog. To their surprise, he leaned backwards and allowed them to fly overhead before grabbing the first's tail and whipping them around and into the second. The remaining tried to clamp onto the dog's body but received only a burst of scolding light for his efforts.

Courage then somersaulted into a flying kick to right between the eyes of the third Wondour before leaping off and allowing the first to crash into it after a failed charge. He landed lightly on his feet and brandished his Riter before swinging it blindly backwards and hitting the second with enough force to send it into a boulder. Using the momentum, he continued to swing until the ball hit full force into the face of the first and third, knocking them to the side. He grinded his feet into the ground before leaping once more into the air, sending himself into a spin.

As he did, he glowed a faint olive and soon, spears of sharpened wood jetted towards the ground. The Wondours all howled, helplessly flailing about as they were peppered by the magic-infused timber. When the dog came to a stop, Defiant Guard was radiating a fierce yellow. With a shout, he sent the mace hurtling towards earth, a visage of a dog's growling head and open maw forming around it. The powerful spell took the second Wondour full force, destroying them before it even could release a howl.

As Courage fell and continued his assault, the third snuck up from beneath and slashed at the dog's back…only to swipe air. Courage was already behind him, his hand humming with a Bless.

SCRECH!

The canine was sent flying as a burst of black tendril and energy erupted into him. He felt the presence of his life's blood seep and dampen his fur before he right himself and landed. The first Wondour was already upon him, arm morphed into blades that clipped at his ears. The dog fluttered backwards and, without a word or gesture, casted the soothing power of his healing magic around and on his wounds, sealing them.

As he continued to fight, Eddy watched on with wide eyes behind the shimmering blue energy field that Courage had erected. He couldn't even recognize this stranger in front of him, fighting off the enemy like a one-man army. There was no fear in his eyes, no cowardice in his features. Only determination and courage. At that moment, as he watched the canine prove his superiority and dominance over the Kin hybrids, only one word managed to form on his tongue.

"Whoa."

The first Wondour was sent flying by way of a straight mace to the face and a peppering of Bless for good measure. Its smoking form fell over, the third rushing in for its fallen comrade with a lashing of clawed tendrils. Courage regarded the attack for a moment and stood rigid with both hands behind his back, as if inviting the striking whips. A flailing tip spearheaded towards him and before it even got even a breath away, the dog unleashed the devastating power of a ultra-sonic sound waves.

The noise rattled the tip, then tendril and finally Wondour until it burst into an ebony shower, flicks of Essence falling all around. The warrior then turned his attention to the last remaining creature, staggering hazily to its feet. The dog gave it a steely eyed stare and it immediately burst into a brilliant light and shot to his wrist, forming a new charm.

"Ooohh," he said around a mouth of popcorn "go' 'im ta yhild, huh?"

He swallowed his mouthful and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small device and pressed an indention. Dark pools oozed from the ground and shot into the air, wrapping, knotting, and twisting together until they finally formed a small army of Kin.

"Well, I've got plenty more where those came from!" the mad scientist announced with a chuckle

Courage backed back towards his friends and quickly splayed his hands. The ground beneath the trio wrinkled and then yawned, an incandescent pool engulfing them into the ground. Wacko watched the summoned portal blink out of existence and cupped his chin, pondering what to do next. Shrugging his shoulders, he fished a phoned from his pocket and flipped it open as it automatically speed-dialed his desired contact.

"Yello, Cyclonis?…Yeah, they're gone…Oh, passed the test with flying colors, really wowed me…Yeah, I know…No, they didn't find out anything important…Yeah, I'll be over there in a minute." The phone clicked shut and with a push of a button, he flipped backwards and fell into an open portal,

(-x-)

Terra Nocturne was notorious for two things: its phoenixes that defied death and its perpetually dark environment. Because of such blackness, it required a massive amount of skill and fitness to maneuver through the terrain to avoid the jagged spires protruding near the edge, the towering trees that grew spines as tough as steel and unforgiving boulders that sat near the center. Ed did _not _possess such skill.

To his credit, he _did _manage to get his team onto the Terra with only mild concussions, fractures, and irreversible brain damage. And he also landed them at the heart of the research facility. Of course, such a crash created a mother of all swarms as soldiers flocked to the scene. But when they arrived, they were nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, nearly fifty feet away, a tall oval of ebony shot up into existence and released five figures, one of which was shivering uncontrollably. Odd briskly rubbed his paws together, hoping the friction would bring him warmth.

"M-m-man, t-t-that place's c-c-c-cold." Odd shuddered, faint whisps of fog clouding around his lips.

"Sorry, but it was the only way to get away before those guards found us." Jenavene reminded, fixing her gloves.

"So, where is this Virtra crystal suppose ta be?" Hoagie asked, peering around

Jenavene closed her eye and focused, the material world vanishing from her focus. Her mind expanded and felt out for traces of energy around her. After a brief moment, her eye opened, humming a piercing blinding white. Her hand pointed east.

"It's that way." she announced before peeking out of their hide away before signaling the rest.

"How'd you do that?" Ed asked, mystified

"An Anodite showed me a while back. Now come on." Jenavene said hurriedly

Ed played with the foreign word as it fumbled in his mouth as he chased after the girl. They turned down a hall and found that it was surprisingly empty. Odd scratched his head, a strange fore boarding taking hold. He held his tongue, however, and followed their impromptu captain. As they raced their way through the maze of corridors and stairs, the feeling only seemed to be amplified. After what felt hours, the teen halted them in front of a large door before kicking it open with her heeled boot.

"Ah-Hahahah! Well, look what the _cat _dragged in." Came a booming and very sarcastic voice

The half cat groaned as he face palmed himself and looked lazily up at the source of the voice. Stationed high above the room was a large, muscular man donned in bronze armor. His midnight blue hair was slicked back into spikes and he looked at the group of Underground soldiers with superiority. Below him, the room was filled wall-to-wall with Cyclonians armed with daggers, spears, swords and all other types of weaponry. The man chuckled darkly, peering down upon the group.

"You should feel honored, knowing that you'll be annihilated by me, Commander Snipe, of the Cyclonian Army. You may go ahead and beg for your pathetic lives, although I'd only consider it if agree to cast aside your loyalty to those barbaric idiots and pledge undying allegiance to the glory of the Cyclonian Empire, which will one day rule Atmos and beyond-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Snips." Odd flapped his hand in mimicking of a mouth as he quipped the man.

"It's…_Snipe_…" the Commander growled, hands digging trenches into the metal

"Snips, Snipe. Who cares? You're still about ta get your butts handed to you on a silver platter." the teen half-cat replied with a crack of his knuckles.

He shifted his footing as his body tensed in anticipation of the fight to come. But before he could go any further, a lithe gloved hand impeded his intended path. Jenavene turned her visible eye towards the lad, the lighting shading her face in a disconcerting light.

"I've got this."

Odd had no idea why those words made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. And he wasn't the only one, either, because Hoagie was backing behind Ed; he and Clam were apparently more fascinated than scared or so scared that it dared them to look away. Whatever the case, the girl was casting her presence towards the rest of the room. The guards under Snipe's command broke into tremors, weapons threatening to slip from their grip. A lone guard, carrying a spear tipped with a Firebolt crystal, let a bead of sweat drip to the floor. The girl smirked and swung her arm.

With a single movement, she cleared the entire front-line of Cyclonians with a whip of ebony. She leapt forward, bringing up her other hand, another whip cracking through the ranks. Landing in the center of the mass group of soldiers, she stood en point and rotated into a blur. A dozen beams shot out and careened into the chests of stunned troops. One of the soldiers who had avoided the blasts tried to strike her with his spear.

The tip dug into the blur just as she stopped on a dime and sent a roundhouse into the man's temple. He collided with his fellow warriors as the girl ducked a dagger and caught the attacker's forearm and pivoted him over her shoulder in a perfect judo flip. She side stepped and elbowed another troop before sweeping another legs and hitting a third with backhand. Her hands suddenly blazed in a dangerous midnight blue aura and she thrust her palm, sending a hailstorm of dark crystals into more of the Cyclonians.

Odd watched on, speechless, as he watched the researcher unleash a devastating maelstrom around herself, knocking back and out those who strayed too close. Her hands rose with her two inner digits bent to the palm, shrouded in a dark emerald glow. She then glided over the floor as she weaved together a sprouting forest of crawling ivy. Even with all this, she still managed to blend a series well-timed punches and kicks that dropped even more guards. The teen couldn't take his eyes off the girl; her dark cinnamon locks shimmering in the light and form flickering in and out as spells and bodies whizzed by. She looked, for lack of a better word, breathtaking. And at the same time, she looked perilous. As if there was something about her that made him want to shy away. But one look at her face and found himself gravitating towards her one more.

Snipe looked on from above, his face masking his true feelings about what he was seeing. He had been a bit un-eased when the teenage researcher had announced herself, but he thought it of little consequence. It was, after all, one little girl against his army of highly-trained guards. Then she took out the entire front-line with a single attack. That had made him worry. When she proved she was capable without magic, he'd been nervous. Now, she stood alone on the floor, a snap of her fingers producing a pillar of blackness that sent the last guard into the ceiling.

"Now, General Snipe…" her voice sent chills down his spine and not the good kind "that's just bad manners. Letting your guards entertain us while you haven't even tried to join in the party."

A smile splayed across her face and he flinched "Guess I'll have to bring the party to you."

Her form was engulfed in black and she was suddenly propelled within an inch of the man's face. He shrunk back and she brought her shrouded fist towards the general's face…

…only to have the shroud dissipate into thin air. They both stared in disbelief before Snipe grinned and grabbed her wrist, hoisting her over the railing. So Caught up in the situation was he that he failed to remember that his armor was completely resistant to all mystic arts.

"Ha! Not so tough now, are ya girl-EEE!" As Snipe gloated, Jenavene took advantage of the weak point in his armor which was conveniently located where the sun don't shine.

He dropped her and she gripped the railing and jolted into a handstand, kicking the large man into the wall. Before the man could drag himself up, his eyes bugged out their sockets as a large, Ed-shaped shadow loomed over him. The lovable lug collided with his target and the two were sent hurtling through to the opposing room.

"Geez, Ed doesn't do anything half-way, does he?" Odd commented as he studied the hole left by his comrade.

"Um, guys?" Number 2 called out, shivering "We've got bigger problems."

"Like?" Jenavene asked as nonchalantly as usual

"Big Flaming Bird." Clam answered and pointed his finger

Everyone's jaws dropped at the sight before them. Hovering high above the metal, barren antechamber was a bird. A magnificent example of a fowl with warm color plumage and a flowing tail, sharp beak, and piercing gold eyes. All, of which, were on fire. Bright, beautiful, _scorching _fire. Flames capable of burning away life in its entirety were dancing around the bird that stared fiercely at the two sprawled out figures. Snipe's pupils shrunk and he uttered a curse as Ed's grew large as they took in the bring before them.

The Phoenix had been captured and caged for far too long and was raring to unleash some long fostered fury onto something. The two forms sprawled on the floor would do for now. With a flap of its incredible wings, it rose and then plummeted to the ground. It bee-lined for its target, an inferno wrapping around its form as it continued to drive at the floor. Soon, it was within striking distance, ready to vent some irritation.

"CHICKEN!"

To the shock of all those presence, Ed wrapped his sleeved arms securely around the enflamed phoenix. It obviously came as a shock to the bird as well, as it flared its fiery aura to force the boy away. But he only increased the force of his hug, squeezing the air out of the fowl. There was suddenly a loud crack and a bright flash of white light; when it died, only a stream of fading light circling around his wrist was seen.

"No-freakin'-way." Odd stated in outright disbelief at what had transpired in front of him.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge in the magic arts knew that in order to receive a summons, one had to first get another magical being to acknowledge their superiority and then have said being to yield to them.

And Ed had just hugged a phoenix, one of the most powerful forces in the known realities, into submission.

Jenavene, despite her own sense of disbelief, was able to shake herself back to reality. Walking past the males who still sat in a drunken stupor, she casually walked up to a terminal that had caught her eye in the middle of the room. Sitting atop the structure was a mauve crystal, humming gently within a glass case and held still by four metal clamps. Her hand nimbly flew over the keyboard, digits pounding in a series of numbers that caused the case to open and release the metallic limbs holding it steady. The girl proceeded to pluck it up and with a thought; it vanished from this dimension by a puff of dark smoke. _I guess that's why the phoenix was here _Jenavene thought, _I mean, what kind of idiot tries to steal anything from a phoenix?_

"Lookit, guys! I have own pet fire chicken!"

_Guess that answers that question _she sighed, smiling thinly. She rose her hand and snapped, gaining the attention of every male present

"Well, we've got what we came for." A wave of her hand produced a tall oval of dark energy, beckoning her comrades forward "Time to leave."

The boys wasted no time in complying and filed single-file into the void, Ed excitedly talking away about the coolness of his new summons. The renowned researcher stopped short and turned on her heel, gazing at the man on the floor. She then flashed him a smile before sending a wave of dark energy towards him as she vanished. Snipe raised his arms to intercept the strike and closed his eyes in expectation of the pain that was sure to follow. When none came, he dared to open his eyes just as he heard reinforcements finally arriving.

"Commander Snipe, we came as soon as we heard-" the leader of the company stopped short and his mouth twitched into a smile.

"What?" he demanded and then noticed that he felt a bit breezier than normal. When he looked down, he saw to his utter horror, that he naked save for his boxer shorts. He quickly covered the exposed area and blushed deeply as his subordinates erupted in laughter. It seemed that Wacko's armor was only magic _resistant _and not magic _proof. _He'd be sure to give the so called mad scientist a piece of his mind, but first…

"JENAVENE!"

(-x-)

Juniper Lee was a patient girl.

She had once stood in line for eighteen hours for tickets to premier of her now favorite movie. She waited the five years that Ah-Ma told her it would take before she was ready to tackle being the Te XuanZe by herself. She even withstood a three hour lecture on the importance of dental hygiene.

So yes, she was patient.

"Aggh! No Juniper, you need to use more focus and _less _force on the moment of release and then adjust for feedback and recoil"

But when it came to magic practice, she was using every bit of will power not to send an energy laced fist flying into her guardian/teacher's mug. Despite a family linage richer in magic than in those of Merlin's own flesh and blood, she always had a hard time using _any _of it. Monroe had once told her that it was due to a lack of belief, which was said to be the foundation of magic. June's reply had been somewhere on the lines of _"I fight Giant Twin-headed Trolls in the park that can somehow breathe lava! How can I _not _believe in magic!" _

It had been only two days since Jenavene's departure and Monroe spared her not so much as a moment's rest. He always felt that the brown haired mage's training was more than a bit lazed and was now doing everything in his power to reverse the months of underdevelopment. This translated into a four hour refresher course on the basics of magic as well as a grueling schedule of practical use and combat training. Book work never had been her thing to begin with and it didn't help that the canine required her to study when she wasn't practicing.

"Now then, once more from the top." Her mentor ordered, sitting atop a desk and looking far too comfortable for her liking.

Fearing that anything she said would come off harsher than she meant from her aggravated state, she simply nodded and positioned herself. Taking a few calming breaths, she began. She focused her energies and called upon the Elder's magic; that which made up her very Core. She then let the energy flow to her shoulder then her arm and finally collecting in her hand, forming the bright, humming blue sphere that was Energy Waver. She exhaled the breath she was unaware she was holding and sighed in relief. At least she had _that _spell down. Slowly, she focused once more and proceeded with the hard part.

Juniper had learned from Jenavene that everyone had a natural affinity for a certain element, it was both necessary and prohibiting when it came to discovering what a mage could and couldn't do. Hers was, ironically, a Plant attributed. So, naturally, she had recommended a Plant spell for her to try. Said spell was currently taking shape, the blue sphere transforming into a white bud, six glowing white petals blooming as light slipped through the crevices. The spell was supposed to produce a blast powerful enough to destroy most low-class enemies as well as damage high class foes. What made it difficult and unique was that it stemmed from Energy Waver and morphed into another attribute. Such a transition caused a release of excess energy that needed to be displaced or else the caster ran the risk of the spell back firing.

June relieved the exact experience for a sixth time when the bud died and sent a Relapse coursing through her that sent her back into a book case. The Lotus Blossom spell remained unconquered. Monroe shook his head and sighed, jumping over towards the pile of literature. "Maybe we should take a break."

"Take a break?" June challenged as she rose from the tomb, hardbacks and notes cascading down her shoulders "That's all I've done since Jen left! I'm the Te Xuan-freakin-Ze and I can't even master a lousy spell that's my own affinity, for Pete's Sake. My control's a mess, my casting _sucks, _and if I have to Weave one more time, I'm gonna throw a conniption!"

The girl continued to pace the room, hands gripping her mussed locks that fell in stray snarls on her forehead. The guardian felt the anguish and frustration fuming from his young charge and decided to attempt to help in some way.

"Listen to me, June. You've got a lot of things to worry about at moment and you're only feeding your anxiety by worrying over something you don't have any control over. Your casting's fine and better than most of the dingbats here. Your control's come a long way from blowing the roof off every time you even tried to use Energy Waver. And as for your Weaving…well, let's come back ta that one."

She gave her dog a pointed look and then turned around. "I'm going for a walk." Was all she said before punctuating this by slamming the door hard enough to rattle the entire contents.

The halls of D' Raziw were bare, the pitter-pattering clothed feet all quietly sitting in the numerous classrooms behind the oak doors. The lone girl in this quarter of the academy shuffled about them in a daze, eyes looking but not looking. She racked her brain for something to take her mind off of her countless failed attempts at magic. As she did, her heighten senses picked up a noise that sounded vaguely comparable… to fireworks.

Following the sound, she came upon a low-hanging door that led to one of the many refuges outside the school. As she peeked outside, she took in the sight of a boy, possibly in his teens, with pink skin and black hair that encompassed his head in its entirety. His attire was composed of a white shirt with a green oval and blue jeans with a blue knap sack wrapped around his waist like a belt as well as the purple signature cloak of the students here. From his fingers did fly flamboyant streaks that ruptured at their apex into brilliant showers. June smiled and, like one of the many predators she'd seen on Monroe's favorite channel, she stalked noiselessly towards her prey until she was behind him. Then she pounced.

"Hey, Abracadaniel."

A strangled gasp escaped him mouth and his hands flailed, sending a dozen bolts careening in all directions. The boy landed on his rear, gripping his chest and heaving in oxygen. June, covered her mouth, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Don't _do _that, June." The young mage-in-training heaved.

"Hey, you're the one making it light up like the Fourth of July." The girl replied with a smirk

The crossed his arms and pouted before switching to the completely opposite and expectantly asking her "Do you wanna see a spell I've been working on? It's for Professor Queeks Exam on Ghostly Displays."

Abracadaniel was a very strange case at the Academy. He had earned a place after he came in second at the previous Wizard Battle and had since become a model student…behaviorally. Practically, he was one of the worst students to ever grace its corridors. His spells were flashy and consisted of rainbows and polymorphic butterflies but all the good that did against enemies that could rip one in half without even touching them. The only spell he had managed to master outside of his own was Fireworks and even that was more for enjoyment and had little use in combat. Overall, most Professors had little hope for him and most had given up as soon as he walked in.

Juniper, as his only friend and likewise her own outside Jenavene, had an obligation to humor him and nodded. He smiled broadly and turned around, taking a few breaths to clear his mind. June's eyes widened when she saw him produced two sphere of mystical might above his palms. Then he thrust them into the air. The beams raced skywards, blinking with every color of the rainbow. At their peak, they combined and spiraled in on themselves until them blended into golden and black hues. From this sprouted a visage of the Cosmic Owl, its beak held a gap and wings spread magnanimously wide. The lad turned back around and saw his friend look at him in pure awe.

"Daniel." She was completely blown away by what she had just witness. "Daniel…How'd…" Was this the same guy who the Dean had teased about withdrawing because of his poor performance "How'd you do that?"

The boy blushed crimson and rubbed the back of his head "It's nothing, really. I just kinda meshed together Energy and Light attributes and sorta put it in the same structure as the Fireworks spell."

"That was way more that meshing together attributes. Creating something like takes control and skill that-that I've only seen Jenavene and Susie use! Where'd you learn to do that? You sure weren't this good a week ago." Now it was her turn to pout "And I've only gotten worse."

"So not true, June. You've got more skill and potential than pretty much everyone here. Even the most powerful mages at Wizard Battle have to train for years to get the power you have and you were born with it. I know that someday soon, you'll be better than any wizard this school's ever seen." He reached behind his back and produced a book "Here. This how I got to where I am now. I'm sure it'll be able to help you too."

BRING! BRING!

"Oh Glob! I'm late, again!" he raced towards the door, waving good-bye to his friend "See ya later, June!"

The girl sighed, now alone on the Terence. She looked down at the book and glanced over the cover that read _Magic 101 for Complete and Total Morons that are a General waste of Time, Energy, and Space_. June chuckled drily at how at how it described how she at the moment. Cracking it open, she scanned the pages until she came upon one that had 'CONRTOL' written in big bold print.

_Control is defined as the ability to bend the energies in oneself and those of other living and non-living things to their will. If your control royally sucks, than you have no one to blame but yourself, as it is completely your fault._

"Great advice." The girl said sarcastically

_The reason for this is most likely that your reserves are so large that when you cast, you barely feel the drain. To fix this, there are a number of exercises listed below to help you better sense and feel the effects your spells have on you. Remember, control is also subjective. Because it's easy to blast a group with a high-class Fire spell but hard to transfer specific knowledge to another person via a low-class Learning spell._

The girl quickly looked over the list before shrugging and closing the book. Well, it would be better than going back to Drill Sargent Monroe. She marched towards the door and back inside, intent on making use of one of the many training rooms. As she did, she glanced a hooded figure and gave a brief "Sorry!" before rushing off. The figure pulled the cowl higher over their head and disappeared round a corner. Checking both directions twice, they removed the hood to reveal a dark complexed boy with a black flat-top. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a communicator, flicking it open.

"Yo, Mandy." He spoke, voice low and hushed "I think we might got a problem."

"_I'm well aware, Irwin, which is why I want you to take care of it when and if it should become a problem." _The voice answered on the other end

"Whatever you say, Yo." The boy shrugged "You're the boss."

He then slipped the cowl back over his head and rushed off to class. He couldn't keep his grandfather waiting, after all.

**Author's Notes: **Yeah, lot's going on. Trust me, Sarah'll be in the next chapter but let me tell you to be prepared for lots of dailouge and explaination. Finn and friends are returning to the Candy Kingdom and will be in for a surprise when they get there. Double D'll be conscious when we see him next and talking to his new summons, who I can't wait to write more dailouge for. Jenavene shows her stuff, finally and Courage shows that he can be badass. As for that scene, remember that he had trained in China for a while and trained under a Master later. Well, that's it for now. TTFN!


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